A Life Returned
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: When you change one thing, you change everything. Lu Ten figured he would die under that lake. He never expected to see the world again. Yet here he was, alive and given a second chance at the world. He hoped he could do better this time. That he could correct the sins he had placed under his name. But between lost family and juvenile Avatars his first life seemed much simpler.
1. A Moment For Loss

**Note: Thank you for clicking, and thank you for showing interest in my work. I hope you enjoy.  
I first started this project back in 2012 when I was given the plot request for Lu Ten to be captured instead of killed at Ba Sing Se, and then later rescued during Aang and the group's time in the city. I made it a good ways in, before the project had to be cancelled for various reasons. But I am back, ready to have a second go at this and hoping that ya'll will bear with and support me as I attempt this.  
This is written specifically for every person who has commented reminding me that I cannot just abandon something that I started. This is for you all, and all the support you guys gave when I was silent.  
Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Avatar the Last Airbender. Never have. Never will. **

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-

The shadows inside Ba Sing Se's walls shifted as men moved through them. They moved like ghost. Many people believed them to be so. They were the dark, dangerous creatures behind the absences late at night. No one spoke on those rumors. No one dared to breathe a word against the cities great protectors. They wanted it that way.

"We have confirmation on the Dragon, sir." Dai Li agent Ichiro's ears picked up the voice; rough and low, coming from the silhouette hidden in the shadows. The man lifted his eyes as the man stepped from the dark alley, his face hidden under the shade of his down casted helmet.

"Excellent" Ichiro kept his grin in check as the young man slipped back into the shadows. He crossed his arms behind his back as he silently glided down the streets of the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Frightening silhouettes danced at his feet from the light of the full moon, his shadow casting menacing shapes against the closed up houses as he moved with the sound of a ghost.

On the other side of the Outer Wall, the Fire Nation army was pushing farther, closing the city off from any outside contact. The campaign was threatening the life for those inside the walls. It was threatening Ichiro's hold over the city and over the king. He had enough to deal with, and an advancing Fire Nation army was not making it any easier on him.

-oOo-

Lu Ten cut through the collection of men, his focus on his father's tent. A rage was building inside him as he pushed the flaps open. Officers Hiroshi and Katsu, as well as Lu Ten's father lifted their gaze at the entrance of the young soldier. While the elder prince smiled tensely at the presence of his son, the other two merely stifled their frowns.

"We need to talk father," Lu Ten spoke, directing his gaze onto the man at the head of the small table. "It's important."

Iroh chuckled. "Everything is important to you, my son."

"This is of upmost importance." Lu Ten protested.

General Iroh muttered a few hushed words to the other men. They exchanged glances before submitting to superior orders. The stood, bowing to both princes before stepping from the tent. Lu Ten could hear them muttering something beyond the tent flap.

"I am sorry, father. I thought you were alone."

"It is alright. We were wrapping up anyway. Now my son," Iroh rose slowly from the table, a warm smile on his lips, "what seems to be the problem? I did not get the chance to ask you earlier how Mullen was."

"It was fine," responded Lu Ten. "Report was filed this morning."

"The rebels?"

"Just rumors. That's not what I wished to discuss though."

Iroh sighed, shifting through a stack of papers. "What seems to be on your mind?"

"The Rough Rhinos? Have you heard what they have been doing?"

Iroh sighed. "I have heard rumors."

"They aren't rumors. Father, I have seen for myself what those men are doing. It's horrible."

"It's war Lu Ten."

Lu Ten's lips tightened as he looked at his father. He placed his hand on the stack of papers, preventing his father from looking at them further. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but you don't seem to understand. Father, those men are vile. They are setting villages alight for not reason."

"I am sure there is more to the situation than you know. And it really is not yours to worry about." Iroh pinched the bride of his nose, looking at his son. This wasn't the first time he had needed to discuss the horrors of war with his son, but he had hoped by now that the young man would learn to accept them. Blood was spilled, there was nothing that could be helped.

Understanding that his son was not going to let this matter slide, Iroh simply smiled. "But I will discuss with General Zhang concerning their conduct."

"Thank you, father."

"Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" Iroh asked. From the look on the young prince's face, Iroh already knew the answer.

"I don't wish to speak out of turn," the young male spoke, "but I have to wonder father, how many more lives must be given? How many more innocents must die before this is over."

Frowning, Iroh placed a hand on his son's shoulders. The young man had just celebrated his twenty second, but he still looked so young in his father's eyes. There was still a spark of innocents that Iroh wished would remain. But that innocents bordered on naivety in too many cases.

"I know it must be hard to understand, but what we are doing here is important. We are bettering the lives of all involved."

Lu Ten looked away, not daring to look his father in the eye. "You can't better the lives of people who are dead, father."

Iroh squeezed his son's shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could do to talk his son through these thought. It was almost a passage of right for those at war. Iroh himself had come to similar terms during his first few years at war. He had quickly understood that the bloodshed and loss of life would be worth it in the end.

Lu Ten was still working through those thoughts. Iroh just hoped the boy would work through them quickly.

-oOo-

The night moon soon set from the sky as early dawn took the land. Ichiro watched with trained eyes from his location at the topmost tower of the outer wall as the encampment outside his walls slowly rose with the morning sun. Fire Nation soldiers bustled about, oblivious to the deep glares of detestation that heated the outer wall.

As the morning rose, Dai Li agents quickly filtered around the pathways carved into the top of the wall, and took their positions, unseen and unknown by the enemy soldiers below them. Silent as a bird of prey, they waited for their signal to strike without mercy and remorse.

Ichiro's eyes followed the aging General's movements through the scoop. Dark brown eyes stayed trained on the man as the Fire Nation Prince moved about his routine day. It would be another few hours before the general would order his men back towards the base off the wall.

Impatience rose in him as the Dragon of the West stayed in the large tent at the center of the camp. The wait turned to hours as no changes were made in the enemy's lines.

When the prince finally left his tent, hand on the shoulder of a young solider, and calling attention to him, Ichiro lowered his scoop. He raised a hand, shifting his wrist in a signal.

He watched as the mass of red began funneling into formatting. His own agents were moving into position. They stood before Ichiro – young and old men all ready to give their lives in stopping the incoming forces. They looked at him, dark shadows cast upon their face from their helmets. The man had to smile at that loyalty.

"We stand together, the first line of defense against the savages that dare attack our homes," Ichiro shouted over the rushing wind. The Dai Li agents stood still as stone against the breeze which passed before them. "I pray to the spirits that we are also the last. That we are the last front that must fight to protect this city."

A grunt of agreement ran through the men.

Ichiro smiled tightly. "I am aware that most, if not all of you, were looking forward to killing as many hot heads as possible today. But there is an added focus that must not be missed."

The men did not speak against, but a spark past through many of their eyes.

"I assure you," Ichiro continued, "that you may still knock as many Fire Nation heads together as you wish. But with this mission we have another goal. The Dragon of the West has finally showed his face to us. He is marching alongside the front. He is our main target. Kill as many of those damn firebenders as you wish, bring back any prisoners you can, but the General must be one of those to fall here tonight. He falls, so does the army. Our freedom, our homes, our families rely on the death of the Great Butcher."

An echo of understanding followed.

-oOo-

Among the burning ground Lu Ten just couldn't find the desire. He moved through the motions, flames trailing from under his nails and across the ground. He watched an elderly earthbender drop to his knees, a victim of the flames.

Screams of pain and rage danced through the air around him. It made Lu Ten sick to hear. He knelt beside a young man in red. Blood was pooling from the boy's leg as he gasped through the pain. A pool of blood dripping from his lips was drowning him.

"Stay with us Kazuo." Lu Ten turned the man's head to allow his airway to clear. He coughed up the blood that was no longer threatening to strangle him. "I'm going to cauterize the wound."

Kazuo closed his eyes, panting heavily through the pain. "It's not worth it my Lord. Protect yourself."

Lu Ten chuckled darkly, his hands pressed against the bloody gash in the man's leg. Heat coursed through his fingers as he directed his inner flame. He ignored the scream of pain that the young man gave as the fire began to seal the wound.

There was so much blood. Too much blood.

It wasn't as if he hadn't seen this much blood before. Four years he had been moving along the war front drawing blood of his own. Four years he had brought death and destruction to this world. Four years he had believed that this was all for the best. All for the glory of the Fire Nation.

He knew better now.

"Kazuo?" Lu Ten ran a hand over the male's face. He looked far too young to be in this place. Lu Ten knew Kazuo had just turned nineteen. Drafted into war in his father's place. He had a betrothed at home. A young woman, Kimiko, who from what he had heard from the young man, was so beautiful that the sun seemed to rise and set around her.

"Kazuo?" Lu Ten tapped his hand against the young man's cheek. He wasn't going to allow this. People died, but not this kid.

There wasn't a response. Soft brown eyes stared away from him. Lu Ten leaned back, the destruction of the fight around him as he closed the eyes of a young soldier.

A sharp stone slammed into Lu Ten's shoulder. He feel forward from the pain. Kazuo's body lay under him, already growing cold with death.

He placed a hand over his injury, which was bleeding slowly, the stone having penetrated his armor. Turning to see who had attacked him, Lu Ten locked eyes with scared green.

The young prince rose to his feet. The Dai Li agent, shorter and stockier than he was, stood frozen in an offensive stance. His face was difficult to make out under the blood and dirt. A ring of stones hovered in the air like puppets being controlled by his fingers.

"At least I got one monster," the agent spoke, his eyes on the fallen Fire Nation soldier. His voice was touched with youth. A young man who had just killed another young man.

Breathing heavily, Lu Ten shifted into a solid stance. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be out here fighting. He didn't want any more blood on his hands. It wasn't a chose though at this moment.

War was a struggle to survive and in that moment, Lu Ten really wanted to live.

Flames sparked against his fingers. More than survival, he wanted revenge for his fallen comrade – for his fallen friend.

A snarl in his throat, and flames at his command, Lu Ten attacked the agent. He understood in that moment how war progressed the way it did. Anger and revenge were powerful motivations for man.

-oOo-

In the smoke of a quickly downward turning battle, Dai Li agent Arata found himself struggling for breath in the dust that filled the air. Fire and stone raced passed his head as the eighteen year old struggled to continue his own battle before him. The firebender was quickly advancing upon the young agent.

He knew now that he shouldn't have pushed his luck with this fight. He should have taken the death of the soldier and rejoiced in that instead of trying for a second. Taking on a seasoned solider had been a mistake for the young man. Arata was bleeding and bruised from the beating he had taken. His helmet had long been lost, and his uniform was a burnt mess. He was still alive however. The firebender seemed to be taunting him in this fight.

Jerking his foot suddenly, and sliding it across the ground, he brought a solid stone mass from beside him. The attack collided with the firebenders chest, but the impacted seemed to do nothing but send him stumbling back a few feet. Rage darted in his opponent's ember eyes; his fist quickly engulfing in flames as he made advancement back towards his earthbending prey before him. With a swift kick from the firebender that just barely missed his chest, Arata found himself tumbling backwards and landing painfully on the ground.

Arata's green eyes searched franticly around him as the soldier stood above him. The man's boot clad foot pressed itself down on his right arm, trapping him on the ground and preventing him from attacking. The earthbender stared up into a face plagued with too many emotions.

The heat from the soldiers flames radiated around the two men as the Dai Lee Agent waited for his final moments to come at the hand of the enemy. Hatred boiled inside him as the firebender continued to stand there, with an almost remorseful look plastered alongside his rage.

"Do it already!" Arata screamed, amazed his voice managed to escape his lips.

The firebender's eyes widened at the words. He seemed to momentarily snap from the rage that had been driving him. The golden orbs quickly letting pity and remorse fill the anger that was there moments go. The pressure on Arata's arm let up considerably, but not enough for him to get his ground.

"Just do it!" he yelled again at the older man. He was not going to allow some firebender the chance to pity him on the battlefield. He didn't need it. Young and rage filled eyes narrowed furiously at the tired, but not much older pair, of the enemy before him. Green met golden, as dust fell around them.

"What are you waiting for?" Arata asked.

The pressure on his arm disappeared as the firebender stepped off of his limb. Arata remained lying flat on the ground in a daze for a few extra seconds before lifting himself into a sitting position. What trick was this soldier playing on him?

"Stand up." The firebenders voice was unreadable, as if he was struggling to speak. "I will not kill a man while he is down on his back. I am no monster."

"A firebender with a sense of honor," Arata chuckled without realizing. Lifting himself from the ground, he bent his knees in a fighting stance. "Like a monster with a soul. Shall we resume were we left off?"

Before either could advance upon the other, an explosion shock the ground below their feet. A cloud of fire began to swarm over the field.

Arata didn't see the spray of fire that quickly engulfed around them until it was mere inches from his body. He threw his arms over his face, breathing in what he expected to be his last breath. A second flame circled around them, the reds mixing into each other.

Both him and his own opponent were covered in ashy soot and had been shoved to the ground with the force of the blast. As the fires smoldered around him, the charred bodies of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers littered around him came into views.

Arata stared with horror at the battlefield before him. Soldiers from both sides of the war looked identical when all was but a charred mess. The clothes off their bodies were nothing but an incinerated remainder. For one brief moment, Arata thanked Oma and Shu that the flames had not taken him.

His good fortune soon wore off, as the sickening smell of burning flesh filled his nose as he tried to peel himself from the ground without success. He was finally feeling the pain of his injuries. The left side of his body felt like a blistering mess; the stone glove around his hand doing little to protect the scorched skin underneath. An agonizing sensation danced its way through his nerves.

He reached towards his legs, searching for the injury. His hands grasped painfully through the dirt filled air.

His green eyes searched around him in vain in an attempt to spot where his left leg had been moments ago. Blood matted the tattered remains of his pants leg as realization took hold.

Strong hand wrapped under his underarms as he was lifted from the ground. A loud scream vibrated from the earthbender lips as the entire left side of his body felt like it had been set ablaze again. Lifting his tear threatened eyes; Arata's vision met the determined stare of gold. He tried to cringe from the man who moments ago had nearly laid him in his death dead, but was unable to move with his injuries. No words were spoken as the young agent allowed the man to carry him from the charred center of the explosion.

From between the sinking dust, Arata's straining eyes could make out a set of Dai Li agents nearby. Their eyes lifted towards the slow scratching sound of his and the firebenders steps. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the agents' gloves were flying towards them. The stone wrapped around the enemy's shoulders, prying his hands from supporting Arata.

As the firebender collided with the ground, the stone gloves pinning him into the Earth, Arata quickly lost his balance and fell forward. His head struck against the cold ground in a sickening snap as the agents moved in to assess the situation.

-oOo-

Ichiro grinned at the lineup of seven kneeling Fire Nation soldiers before him; all with their hands tied painfully behind their back, a large cloth bag placed over their heads. They had lost their chance to capture General Iroh, but this would do. Seven prisoners of war, and a mass of charred Fire Nation bodies outside the wall were a victory. The invading army pulling back and the likelihood of surrender made this a triumph despite the heavy losses on their own side.

"Take the bags from their heads!" He ordered. Seven bags were pulled from the captured soldier's heads simultaneously as all seven men blinked in quick repetition as their eyes adjusted to the dim light of the Lake Lougi headquarters. They looked at one another. At one point through those next few seconds, each of the men managed to glance at the one at the end of the line. A tall man, golden eyes peering through the dirt on his face. Ichiro moved to stand in front of the man. A smirk pulled at his lips as he recognized those eyes. It seemed the rumors were true.

"Welcome gentlemen," Ichiro spoke deeply, watching a shiver run down the spine of the men. He grinned wickedly as six of the seven soldiers trembled in the cold; the defiant one in front of him unmoving and unflinching. "I'm sure you all have heard the rumors of the Dai Li. I'm sure you are wondering if such rumors are true. I assure you, they are all very true for those of you who hold that defiant breath in you."

Ichiro moved to the other end of the line, eyes trained on the small form. The Fire Nation soldier was a head shorter than the man kneeling next to him.

"State your name soldier!" His words held no room for discussion as his glance at the young Fire Nation soldier hardened. The hazel brown eyes of the boy, clearly just at draft age, trembled almost as much as his thin body did. His pale face jerked to look at the man, this short black ponytail jerking behind him, with a pleading expression.

"Hu-Hu-Hu- Hough." The boy answered through clinched teeth. Ichiro nodded approvingly before moving to the next soldier.

"Jayen." The soldier, at least thirty, responded with a much more solid voice than the boy before him. Ichiro nodded as well before moving down the line up, receiving one Fire Nation name after the other, each voice either hold a terrified or frightful tone.

Standing in front of the last remaining soldier, Meyers waited for the name he wanted to hear to be spoken from the man's mouth. The soldier in his mid-twenties let his golden eyes trail casually around in curiosity. Dark ashes clung to his tattered uniform; dark red scars were beginning to form over his body and face, an angry burn running the length of his neck. The man's ebony hair was half still in its topknot, while the majority hung down around his scared pale face. A sort of royal and majestic glow seemed to radiate off him as he remained kneeling and bleeding on the cold stone floor.

"Lee." The final soldier shrugged his shoulder as he answered with a casual tone. "Just Lee." Ichiro's hand collided with the young man's bruised and slightly burnt face in annoyance and anger at his remark. He wrapped his stone covered hands around the firebender's chin, and pulled so the man had to look at him.

"Don't fool with me, Prince Lu Ten," the Dai Lee agent grinned at the defiant gleam in the Prince's eyes turn to surprise. "I know exactly who you are. The Fire Nation royal eyes are hard to hide from someone who knows them. You're resemblance to your father is uncanny."

"In that case," Lu Ten lifted his eyes to meet the man's cruel dark glare, "does diplomatic immunity count in this situation? And if so, I'd like to extend it to my men. Because Agni knows, I'll need all six of them to help me find my way back to camp."

"Silence!" Ichiro's voice held a clear level of rage that left every present person in the room cringing; minus the man speaking and the one being spoken to. He let go of the Prince's chin. "You are my special prisoner now, Prince Lu Ten. You will do well to remember that."

"You do realize once my father realizes that I'm gone, he'll tear Ba Sing Se to the ground to find me." Lu Ten struggled against the stone bonds holding him. "It's only a matter of time before he discovers your little underwater club house and breaks in."

"Your father is not a problem for us at this moment." Ichiro answered with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Lu Ten's voice held a dangerous tone to it. "What did you do to my father?"

"Nothing yet little boy," Ichiro was beginning to get the upper hand in the standoff. The young Prince had left a weak spot in his defiant manner. "But as we speak, your father is cleaning up camp and moving soldiers out. I highly doubt he, or anyone for that matter, will be looking for you any time soon."

"You're lying," Lu Ten narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "my father would never leave me behind. Much less leave six others behind as well."

"Not unless he thought you to be dead." Ichiro allowed the enjoyment he felt playing this cat-owl and mouse game with the young prince. "With so many charred bodies out on that field, any number of them could be yours. And when there's no possible way of telling the difference between who's whom out there. So I assure you, your father is not looking for you."

Lu Ten's shoulders sank as the man's words struck home to him. Mournfully he lifted his golden eyes to face the six men beside him, an apologetic expression over his face. "Let them go."

"Excuse me?" Ichiro's narrowed his eyes even farther at the young man as he turned his pale face towards him. "Would you care to repeat that?"

"I said let them go," Lu Ten shifted to stand, but found a sturdy hand holding him down. "You have me, what do you need of them? My life for theirs?"

"You seem to be under the impression," Ichiro could have laughed at the young man's attempts, "that you have a choice in this matter. But let me remind you _Prince_ Lu Ten, you have no control, no rule in my land. I am the one who decides rather you and your fellow soldiers live or die. And I alone hold that power. So before you begin demanding anything-"

"I was merely asking." Lu Ten interrupted. His confident and cocky demeanor quickly evaporating as he pleaded for his fellow soldiers lives. "I was merely asking for you to spar their lives. I am responsible for these men, and whatever you wish to put upon them, I will take on my own back for their safety. They have done nothing to you. Having the prince of an enemy nation should be a big enough prize for you, don't let six innocent men suffer any more than they must."

"No, my prince." Every eye in the room landed on the kneeling Hough who seemed to have regained his voice as he looked at Lu Ten with a loyal smile. "We will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for us. We will not abandon you down here while we walk free. I gave our nation my oath that I would protect you. I made my mother a promise that I would bring honor to my family. To abandon you now would be a disgrace to everything I stand for. I will not leave you Sir."

"Nor will I," the soldier beside Lu Ten chimed. The Prince's eyes gleamed with pride at the loyalty of the soldiers beside him.

"If you go down Sir," Hough nodded at the prince, "than we will go down right beside you."

Slow clapping forced the Fire Nation soldiers to withdraw the understanding eye contact they held, as they laid their gaze once more on Dai Lee agent Meyers, his stone covered hands echoing his claps in a sickening thunder.

"Now that we are all on the same page," he stopped his claps and nodded towards the agents behind the seven men. "I want their hands crushed immediately and throw them into the lower cells. Let's see how long your loyalties last, when we take your precious sun away."

-oOo-

Ichiro pinched the bridge of his nose as he dropped into his chair. He didn't have any remorse for crippling the firebenders. They were dangerous monsters and preventing them from fighting back was for the best.

He couldn't get the face of the youngest firebender from his mind. The boy was just barely a man. He was only a year older than Ichiro's youngest son. He uncorked the bottle of mead and poured himself a glass, hoping the liquor would get the past events from his mind.

General Iroh had pulled back from the wall. The city was safe. But at a cost.

Forty six of his men died in this battle alone. Young Arata, merely a child in their ranks, had been brought back broken and burnt and barely breathing. He was still in the infirmary, six hours into surgery and the healers didn't know if he would make it. He wondered if saving the young man was even worth it. He would never walk again. Never bend again due to the injury to his hands. He was now a crippled. An invalid. There wasn't much for him in this world.

The young prince had been with Arata when he'd been brought in, though what he had been doing wasn't clear.

Nor was it clear who had triggered the explosion. It hadn't come from his command. Judging from the death toll the Fire Nation army suffered from it, they hadn't been prepared either.

Taking a swig from the goblet, Ichiro leaned back in his chair.

The door to his office opened, a lone figure stepping into the space. Helmet lifted, dangerously driven eyes stared at him.

"Long Feng," Ichiro smiled tightly his second in command. "How is news from the palace?"

"Good." The man spoke sharply. His steps were quick and calculated as he entered the room.

"What can I help you with then?"

"I heard you brought back prisoners," Long Feng stood in front of him, hands clasped behind his back.

Ichiro downed the rest of his glass, already pouring himself another and making his way through it. "Nothing for you to worry about. Now is there anything I can help you with?"

Long Feng sat his hand on the desk, eyes moving around the room. "There is talk you are growing weak."

Ichiro sat his goblet down, watching the young man. "I would watch yourself, Long Feng. I know exactly what you are doing. You do not want to cross me boy."

Long Feng's eyes shifted into darker tones. "I am no boy."

A sharp pain struck at Ichiro's gut. He bent over, grasping his side as something attempted to dig through his skin. He lifted his tunic, gasping at the mass moving under his skin. Lifting his eyes, Ichiro stared at the young officer.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking what is mine." Long Feng shifted his wrist, the mass under Ichiro's skin shifting with it. "You should really watch what you drink. A few specks of dirt can do a great deal of damage."

With a snap of his wrist, the solid mass of dirt ripped its way through Ichiro's skin. The older male bent over, cupping his hand over the bleeding wound. "What are you doing? This isn't a game boy."

"You're right," Long Feng smirked. "It isn't a game."

The ball of dirt shot forward, embedding itself into Ichiro's neck. Light green eyes growing wide, and a thin trail of blood dripping from the side of his mouth, Ichiro tried to speak. He reached forward, hand knocking the goblet of wine to the ground as he tried to claw at his assassin. He slumped from his chair, eyes growing cloudy quickly.

Long Feng stood over the body, a smile on his lips. This was his now.

-oOo-

Lu Ten held his bleeding and broken hands to his chest as the energy faded away from him. Fresh bandages had been placed on his newly damaged hands by a young woman who called herself Jo Dee hours before, but the girl in her mid-twenties was no doctor and could do little to stop the bleeding and bruises forming. An intense pain throbbed though his body as both his new injuries and his old caught up to his tired and beaten frame.

He didn't know how long he had been down in this cell. It had to be hours by now. Maybe days. He couldn't tell.

Eyes trained on a low burning fire down the hall, Lu Ten leaned against the bars of his cell.

-oOo-

-oOo-

-oOo-

Well, there we are. I hope you guys liked, and are planning on sticking with me on this endeavor. I'm really excited to be writing this. I should have an update soonish. Please leave your thoughts to let me know what you guys think.


	2. Holding Fire

A/N: And we have chapter two. I wanted to thank all of you who have followed and favorited this piece. Its lovely knowing that you guys are out there and reading. Also, wanted to thank the few of you who left comments. It's much appreciated, and I welcome them. Comments are definitely welcomed so don't hesitate to leave one behind.

I've recently acquired a job and am working nights doing security. Due to this, my sleep/life schedule is going to be a little off for a bit, but updates will still occur. It may take a little bit for me to get used to my new schedule, so updates might not occur as often as I want, but as I don't want to fall behind on this, and as I also don't want it to drag on forever, updates won't be too far apart.

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-

Somewhere in the confusion of a power shift, the Fire Nation prisoners seemed to have been forgotten. Lu Ten guessed that there was enough people held in the cells that a small group of war prisoners could easily be misplaced in all the havoc. He hadn't been allowed outside of the little room since his imprisonment. He could still hear the sounds of others in the cell block. Judging from the shouts he heard from fellow prisoners in the hall, it was clear the Dai Li were withholding freedom for various reasons.

He couldn't keep track of how long he'd been held there. At first he could still feel the sun rising and setting. It was born in his blood to be aligned by the sun. Over time, that alignment began to waver. He now counted the days based on the cycle of meals. His heart beat fell in line with the low lit lanterns that gave light to the hall. He was thankful that whatever had occurred to bring about the death of the Dai Li agent that had brought them here, had managed to distract the agents from moving him and the other soldiers to lower levels. He couldn't feel the sun, no that connection had long since been driven from him. But any further down and he doubted he would have survived.

There was a clatter across the hall as the Dai Li agents drug a body from a cell. The bars to the now empty cell clang shut.

"That's five," Hough spoke from a cell over. His voice was cracked and broken. The young male was resting against the bars, breathing heavily. "It's just us I guess. How long has it been?"

"I don't know," Lu Ten replied. His voice had the same broken quality. His eyes traveled down the hall, barely making out the Dai Li agents taking Kiron's body away. His fellow soldiers had been dropping like flies. The small torches hadn't been enough to keep them going.

"I miss my mother," Hough spoke. A violent cough overtook his body.

"I know the feeling." Lu Ten lifted his hand, rubbing out his palm. However long they had been down here, it was enough for his hands to start to reset themselves. It was a slow process, and judging from how much they hurt, it was clear they weren't healing very well or very quickly.

He leaned back, watching the Dai Li disappear up the stairs with the body. The lose of Jayen just now meant that they were down to two. Just him and the young soldier Hough. His fellow soldiers had been dropping one by one since arriving. Nikko had been the previous to disappear, what had to have been a week or so ago. He had snapped, screaming something about the sun and closing walls. The soldier had been dragged out bleeding and bruised. He had not returned.

Lu Ten shifted, readjusting himself as the cold bars started to chill his back. "Tell me about her. Your mother."

He could hear Hough chuckling softly. "She was a harsh woman. Didn't take a word of disrespect. Not from no one. She grew up working docks so she was no stranger to harsh words and hard work. The woman could cook as well as any professional could. She made the best spiced udon you would ever eat. It was like a taste of paradise. And the woman could curse like any sailor. Drink any army man under the table. And could hit so hard you never made the same mistake twice."

Another cough took to the young boy silent. Lu Ten waited until he heard his breathing even.

"She seems interesting," Lu Ten smiled tightly.

"She is. The day I went out to war she chewed my ear off. Said only pansy joined the army. That the strength was with the sailors. I should have joined the navy. But despite growing up working those docks, I still get sick at sea. Throw up as soon as my feet leave land."

Lu Ten chuckled. "Sounds awful."

"It is, my Lo- Lu."

Silence went over them.

Lu.

It seemed the Dai Li agent had really wanted to keep his prisoner's identity a secret. The tattered tunic he wore had that name stitched into it. Over time Lu Ten had taken it as his own. It wasn't that far from the name given to him at birth. And it was safer. Prince Lu Ten's presence had died with Long Feng's rise to power. Lu was just another firebender they kept to rot.

Hough went down with another coughing fit. They were growing worst and more frequent. The young man called night, falling silent as he shuffled through the small cell. Lu Ten muttered a reply, watching with distain as a Dai Li agent moved down the hall, snuffing out the lanterns.

He rose slowly, taking the few steps until he was in his bed roll. If it even could be called that. The thin roll was riddled with holes and was always a little wet. His blanket was just a thin if not slightly less holed. The pillow was a water leaked mass of clotted feathers.

Rolling onto his back, Lu Ten continued massaging his hands. He couldn't get them to straighten any more, and any use of his pinky finger would be a miracle. But it no longer hit when air touched it. He could feel the bones attempting to reshape themselves however poorly. He was just lucky his hand didn't get infected. It had been an infection that had taken out Rikimaro early into their holding. The older gentleman just couldn't take the injury and his hand had blackened. It hadn't been long after that the soldier had perished.

Another set of lanterns were extinguished. It was growing colder by the moment.

Massaging his fingers, Lu Ten grimaced at the pain. There was no telling how bar the muscles and such had been damaged. He wasn't a healer so he couldn't say. He was just lucky the bones had been broken as opposed to completely shattered. It had hurt like the seven hells, but it could have been worst. He had heard stories of firebenders who hadn't been so lucky while captive. There was some admiral who took great pleasure in shattering the hands of firebenders.

It was barbaric and cruel but he knew his people could be just as bad.

The torches in front of his cell were snuffed out. A pain tore through Lu Ten's chest. He'd gotten so used to thriving off the small flame, that those hours when it was out were far too painful. Resting his hands on his torso, the young prince closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Another day – another day in Agni knew how many. He closed his eyes, listening to Hough coughing a cell over. Down the hall there a man screaming about closing walls. A woman the other way was pleading and promising to obey. It was constant noise that didn't melt into the night.

Closing his eyes, Lu Ten tried to sleep.

-oOo-

The door to his cell slammed against the stone wall. It took Lu Ten a few seconds to recognize the green clad men standing over him. They didn't speak or look at each other before swarming into the cell. Their robes danced around them, dark against the stone outline. Lu Ten tried to protest, to fight against the men as their stone gloved hands wrapped around his arms, but he didn't have the strength or will.

Tickles of pain danced through his shoulders as he was pressed chest first against a damp wall. Unforgiving stone cuffs tightened around his wrists, forcing his arms behind his back. They were pulled on tightly, the strain starting to itch at his shoulder blades.

"Could we loosen these?" Lu Ten muttered, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. The men said nothing, only shoving him through the open cell door. It was the first time in Agni knew how long which Lu Ten had been allowed to leave that cell. He couldn't enjoy it. No sooner than he got a breath of the stale air, did they shove a gag between his teeth and threw a bag over his head. It was pulled tight, offering to suffocate him if they weren't careful.

"Leave him alone!" Hough's voice came from his left. Lu Ten tried to respond, the gag preventing him forming a coherent sentence. Through the noise he could make out a small scuffle and a body colliding again stone. He cringed as Hough let out a soft moan before falling silent.

"Walk," a strange voice growled into his ear. Not daring to argue, Lu Ten did as instructed. They took him up and down stairs and around dozen or so corners. He had tried desperately to keep track of the direction he was being taken, but all the movement was making him lightheaded. He gave up trying to find his bearings.

Rusty hinges gave way with a painful ring. A sudden heat washed over him. Lu Ten was thankful for the heat this room gave off compared to the constant chill he'd been left to sulk in. He did not get the chance to breathe in and let his flame take in this heat before he was shoved roughly forward.

Foreign hands tore the stone cuffs from his wrist. Flexing his cramped fingers, Lu Ten tried to shake out the spark of pain in his upper body. He didn't get far before those hands pulled him down. He crashed against the wooden chair and was instantly caged by the stone band wrapping around his torso.

Someone pulled the bag from over his head. The harsh green light surrounding him forced Lu Ten to blink several times. The room he could have been in may have been the size of a palace, or as small as a closet, and he wouldn't have known. The corners were lost in darkness, only a glowing orb just to the left of him provided any light.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, your highness."

Lu Ten locked eyes with the man standing before him. He wore the same green robes as all Dai Li members, but was lacking the bowled helmet. He stood in front of the prince, hands behind his back and a smirk plastered on his thin, rough pink lips. The stranger reached out, removing the gag from the princes' mouth.

"You know me?" Lu Ten looked the man over searching for any sign of what was happening. The stranger's face was void of any emotion. His eyes were straight, his smirk tight, and his shoulders relaxed. He looked far too calm to be in this little shadow room.

"Of course," the man spoke. "You think I wouldn't find out that the young Fire Nation prince is in my cells. I've known since the beginning."

"Then why keep quite? Why not make your move? Why wait?"

"You had no use to me. You're father pulled from his assault only days after your disappearance. And with his claim to the throne gone, what leverage would I have with you?"

Lu Ten looked down, taking in the meaning behind those words. "What happened to my father?"

The Dai Li agent continued smirking as if the situation was giving him great joy. "I am assured that he is alive. Beyond that I honestly have no interest. The Great Dragon of the West is not a concern for me any longer. This leaves you and me in a strange predicament. You're father has no power, and I doubt Fire Lord Ozai would willing bring a true heir back to your nation so soon after his crowning."

"What happened?" Lu Ten screamed. "Answer me!"

The Dai Li agent merely chuckled. "You have no power here, little prince. I would watch your words."

Lu Ten leaned forward. He snarled, a small wisp of fire licking through his teeth. Again, the Dai Li agent chuckled. "It is good to see the fire still inside you. I was afraid all that time in the dark had smothered that flame. It seemed to do well enough against your comrades."

Closing his eyes, Lu Ten breathed through his rage. "What do you want?"

"Despite recent events, you are not entirely useless for me. While not a very useful political hostage, you could still prove useful to our side."

"I am not on your side." _I'm not on anyone's,_ Lu Ten thought painfully.

"You will not have a choice in that matter." The Dai Li agent placed his hand on the glowing green orb. It cast a dark light over his pale features. A spark of cruelty laced through his brown eyes. "Free will has always been troublesome in trying to keep order to this city. Luckily for us, there are ways around it."

The man gave the orb a push. It moved slowly, passing in front of Lu Ten, before arching away. It disappeared behind the man before coming back into view. It moved along a slow circular path. The sinister green glow cast dangerous shadows in the always too dark room.

"I will fight you," Lu Ten snarled, doing his best to avoid the fast moving light. Someone stood behind him, rough on his head to keep him looking straight.

"I assure you, you won't." The Dai Li agent looked like a vicious spirit as the green light became a consistent spiral. "Because you my prince, won't remember a moment of this. At least, not until I want you to."

-oOo-

Lu Ten awoke to a sharp sting in his shoulder. His body felt like he'd been run over by a kimono rhino. There was a throbbing behind his eyes that left him pitching rolling off the sleeping mat. He blinked at the far lit lanterns, finding the comforting flames to have turned on him. Everything hurt and he didn't know why.

Pulling himself into a seated position, he cracked his back. Running his thumb over his wrists, he noticed new bruises and welts. Pushing the bandages away, he growled at the damage. Running through the last night, he couldn't figure out how he could have caused those injuries.

"You awake Hough?" Lu Ten's voice was raspy as if he'd been screaming. Rapping his knuckles lightly against the stone wall, he waited to hear back from the young man on the other side.

Hough was silent.

"Hough?" Lu Ten asked again, louder this time. Rising to his feet, he used the wall to support him as he stumbled to the front of the cell. Pressed against the bars, he tried to listen to the cell over.

"Hough! Wake up you bastard! This isn't funny!"

Nothing came. Not even the snores that often touched the night.

The others in the cells started to scream back various things. The noise level increased quickly, gaining the attention of the Dai Li guards. A group of four swarmed the hall, banging against the bars and demanding silence.

" _Hough_." Lu Ten whispered harshly. "Please. I can't lose you too."

A guard stood outside Hough's cell, a frown on his lips. He unlocked the cell, disappearing from sight. After a moment he called out to this others, "we got a stiff one."

Lu Ten's knees gave out. He barely managed to keep himself standing as he watched the forms leaving the cell. The Dai Li agent was carrying a small body in his arms like one would carry a sleeping child.

Hough's eyes had rolled back into his head. Blood was dried from where it had poured from his mouth and nose. There was a substance caked to his tattered prison tunic that Lu Ten was sure was vomit. The young soldier looked so small. He'd been so young.

Lu Ten screamed. The sound ripped at his throat. Tears blurred his vision as the agent moved towards the door. They took Hough away.

Knees completely giving out, Lu Ten dropped onto the cold stone floor. He couldn't see. Couldn't breathe. The flames in the lanterns burst with one wild spark of life, before extinguishing themselves. Darkness overtook the cell hall. The only light came from a strange green glow far off in the distance. Lu Ten looked at the glow, head throbbing at the sight.

-oOo-

Those lanterns became Lu Ten's sole source of life. He clung to them, allowing the flames to light his own. He knew what happened to firebenders deprived of the light. It was common knowledge to those born to the flame. He was already feeling those affects.

He wouldn't allow it though. He'd be dammed if he allowed himself to die in this cell. He'd been stripped of his title, deprived of his freedom and beaten to the edge. He had been forced to survive off a single flame and bless the spirits for the spare water that always seemed to be on his wall.

Time passed at a speed he didn't known. At the beginning he had been able to carve markers in the walls to keep track of how many suns rose and set. The jagged stone he'd used to make his markers had broken long ago. Keeping track of the days had just seemed too much work after that. It took too much energy for a pointless calendar.

Days melted into months. Months flowed into years. Years took their toll on him.

As the years passed Lu Ten began to rework the strength back into his body. His physique however thin and frail from the near starvation, still managed to hold as much strength as it could. His hands were still bandaged, and he was sure the tight wrapping was what had kept the bones secured enough to heal as they had. The muscle damage was far beyond what he could understand. The functioning of his hands slowly began to form with each exercises and movement he put it through. His fingers no longer bent the way they were meant to, and he highly doubted he would ever hold a sword the proper way again, but just being about to maneuver his damaged hand to allow him to eat with utensils again seemed like an accomplishment to the man.

As time passed, and the days were counted by the life of the lanterns, Lu Ten waited until his inner fire gave out.

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-

 **Want to take a moment to thank you guys for reading. I've got to start getting ready for work and a trip so this is where I will end the chapter.** **Next chapter Lu Ten will be given his chance for freedom. We will see some familiar faces. And opportunities to fulfill long forgotten destinies will be given.**


	3. The Crumbled Stones

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 **Disclaimer: I still do not in any part own Avatar the Last Airbender. This was meant to be finished and out almost a day ago but two unexpected back to back shifts really throw off update schedules. Sixteen hours of work later and here I am working to finish. This chapter was difficult to finish for some reason. Just couldn't manage to get it to come out the way I wanted. I'm going to be excited when I get to move this out of the Dai Li prisons and have a little more room to work.**

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-

"I brought you dinner." The sweat voice drew Lu Ten from his thoughts. Lifting his eyes, he stared at the young woman on the opposite side of the bars, schooling his features to hide the pain. He'd woken up again with a splitting headache. The light from the lantern flames dancing in the halls caused to his head to throb even harder. He'd been hurt by flames before but never like this.

The woman smiled, turning the lock and stepping inside. The opening gate screeched through rusted hinges. Lu Ten winced at the noise. He flecked his fingers, staring at the momentarily parted bars. He eyed the chance to escape before settling back against the walls.

He knew better than to attempt it. The last time he had escaped from his cell he'd made it only a few yards before the stone restraints had stopped him. They'd broken his lower ribs that day. The time before they had shattered his nose. The time before that they had slammed their boots into his knuckles. Escape wasn't an option.

The young woman knelt in front of Lu Ten, the door locked behind her. A Dai Li agent passed behind the bars, glaring under his domed helmet.

The bitter scent of onions danced under his nose. The woman set the tray down, onion soup slouching back and further. A few drops landed on the pieces of bread. "I hope you're hungry, I brought an extra piece of bread for you."

"Thank you." The words pushed through way through Lu Ten's sore throat. He'd had a bit of a cough a few days ago, but that didn't explain why his throat felt as if it had been sanded the night before.

The woman, Jo Dee she called herself, continued to smile at him with that forced grin as she handed him the bowl of soup. He took it in his dirty and bandaged hands. He brought the dingy bowl to his lips, sipping the soup. It tasted like onions and nothing but.

His gaze stayed on the young woman. She wasn't the first woman to come in here, bowl in hand, smile on lips, and declaring herself as Jo Dee. It was always the same flavored soup, the same rock hard bread, but often a different woman. She always had the same dark hair, and deep thoughtless green eyes, same pale skin and name. But a different voice.

"It's no problem Lu," the woman spoke with a sweetness on her lips. "It is my job after all. We all have our purpose. Hopefully you will find yours soon."

He used to love that nickname. Back when his mother tickled him, and told him how brave a warrior he was though he were only a child. Back when he lead Azula through bending katas, marveling at how quickly she was advancing. Back when he'd read late at night with Zuko, the two of them hidden behind library shelves. Back when his father regaled him with stories of dragons in the sky. Back when Lu had been a harmless nickname. Now it was his only name.

Setting the empty bowl down, Lu Ten reached for the slice of bread. He needed something to focus on less those memories overtake him.

"What was that noise earlier?" Lu Ten asked, recalling the screaming earlier this morning. Jo Dee lifted her head and for a moment Lu Ten could make out a hint of apprehension. She gave a sudden intake of breath before the mask clouded her eyes.

"Just a young man who has forgotten that Ba Sing Se is safe," Jo Dee answered with that soulless tone.

"He was screaming about firebenders," Lu Ten pressed further, hoping for some insight. He tore the piece of bread apart, dragging it through what remained of his soup. At the beginning he of his imprisonment he had thought the soup could soften the bread. It never did, just made that too taste like onion.

"There are no firebenders in Ba Sing Se." A phrase spoken as if it were ingrained into her. "Don't you worry about that boy anymore Lu. He's been helped, and has realized that Ba Sing Se is safe, and we are so lucky to have our walls to create order."

She didn't say another word before standing, the tray and bowl in her hands. She exited quickly, a Dai Li agent present at the door. The pair left, silence following in their wake. Lu Ten finished off the last bit of the bread. He licked his fingers for that last bitter taste of onion soup.

Huddling himself in a corner, Lu Ten listened for the sounds of the hall. There were the usual muttering, pleading, and screaming from the others in the hall. The noise grew louder, an indication that the Dai Li agents and the young woman they employed had left. He knew it would be a short time before rounds were made to tend to the prisoner's medical needs. He relied on that short amount of time.

Hunching his shoulder so he was angled into the corner, Lu Ten undid the binding on his hands. The small flames on the walls didn't provide the best lightening, but he could make due. There was a sharp pain in his knuckles that he had gotten used to. Setting the dirty bindings on his lap, he ignored the dark stains on the fabric.

He brought his hands to his face, examining the way they had not set back properly. The last three fingers on his left hand were permanently shifted a bit towards his palm and refused to straighten fully. The bandage had wrapped his fingers against one another and they had healed too close together. His right hand was just slightly better. The ends of his fingers were crocked. His fingers were longer on that hand compared to the other. His thumb was only half a digit.

The fact that he could move his hands at all was a spirit sent. He knew the stories of soldiers who had suffered this injury and had never gained movement back. Part of him knew he should have suffered that. Hough's hands had remained a useless mass until the day he passed all those years ago – Lu Ten didn't know how many years ago exactly.

He flecked his fingers, pleased that the pain was minimal. He didn't have the best movement still. His fingers moved roughly, more so twitching than gliding through the air. Lu Ten had long ago accepted that he would never be able to hold both of his Dao Swords properly ever again, might not ever firebender with the furious and power he had once had. At least not without some serious work done. But that level of healing was associated with a gifted waterbender, and he the Dai Li were hiring them to treat prisoners.

Rotating his palms upwards, he breathed deeply. The flames flickered in the distance. Setting his focus, Lu Ten brought the small flames to life in the palm of his hand. It was no bigger than a newborn kitten. He didn't dare try for any larger in fear that he lost control or someone saw. The flame died away as he breathed out.

Lu Ten rested against the wall of his cell, a lone dribble of water rolled from the ceiling above, and landed on the prince's head. Sighing, he took to rewrapping his hands. He pulled tight, ignoring the sharp pain as he did it.

A single flame, no bigger than a four year old could produce. It wasn't much, but as he relaxed his shoulders, he figured it was a start. If he ever saw the sun again, even the smallest flame would be cherished. He closed his eyes, breathing in as the torch flickered in the hall.

-oOo-

"Go! Move!"

The shacking, and crumbling of Lu Ten's cell woke the prince. He hadn't even realize he was asleep until his head cracked against the stone wall. With groggy eyes, he struggle to make out the forms of Di Lee agents as they rushed through the halls trying to collect the prisoners who had escaped in the mess. The stone walls shock with a violence known only to an earthbender.

Struggling to get to his feet in the rampage, Lu Ten made his way towards the front of his cell. His dirt covered hands grasped the bars for support, as the ground under his feet rolled with the texture of water. He didn't understand why there was so much water or where it was coming from.

"Somebody let me out!" Lu Ten's screams were futile, with the escaping men paying no mind to the trapped prisoner. Everyone seemed to be fleeing at that point as the water rose. It was at his ankles now.

"Anybody!" His voice seemed to carve at his throat as he yelled in vain. A violent set of coughs brought Lu Ten to his knees; the sudden drop unsettling the rising water at his feet. Using the bars to regain his standing, Lu Ten breathed deeply.

The heat in Lu Ten's body grew to an intense burn that it had no experienced for years. He drew in the heat of the atmosphere, beads of sweat dripping down his brow as his inner fire sparked to life for the first time in years. His fingers gripped themselves tighter against the bars that held him. His desire for survival burned itself through his body, extending into the chipped finger-nailed hands that tugged at the bars.

"Open the door!" Voices screamed under the chaos. "Don't leave me!"

The bars cracked as another ripple took to the earth. The bars gave way, taking the support Lu Ten had with them. Collapsing, Lu Ten struggled to expel the water that seeped into his open mouth. Jagged stones sliced themselves through the tattered remnants of Lu Ten's clothes, and he scrambled to his feet, murky water still flowing heavily around his feet. The dirty water was just above his ankles, seeping into his clothe shoes.

The hall was deserted, save for a few who still pleaded through their bars. Their screams echoed through the deserted corridor, only to be lost by the collision of stones around them. He wanted to help them. He wanted to save them, but he knew there was very little he could do in this state.

Golden eyes struggled to adapt to the area. He grabbed a torch from the wall, trying desperately to ignore the pleas of those still behind bars. His fingers wrapped around the hardened wood, prying it from the hook it had rested in. He breathed in the closeness of the flames. A billow of smoke laced itself under Lu Ten's nose. He coughed through the smoke, but kept the flames close to his chest. The fire flickered dully like the one inside his chest. His steps were slow, splashing through the inches of water as he trudged over fallen stones towards the only known exit. His gaze rested on the stairs far in the distant. A haunting green light far above the stairway guided him.

"Please!" A young woman was screaming as she reached through the bars. She was pressed against the iron bars, her pregnant stomach clear through the dark brown tunic. "Don't leave me!"

Lu Ten stumbled forward, holding onto the bars of her cell for support. The torch flickered as he brought it near the bars. She grasped at him, fingers knotted tightly in his ripped tunic. Pleading laced over her dull brown eyes. "Please. Help me. My baby…"

"I'm trying."

A violent cough racked through Lu Ten's body, threatening to take him down to his knees. He held the iron bars, willing his legs to regain their strength. The dust stirred around them as he pulled at the cell door in hopes that the quakes had weakened them as it had to his own.

The ground shook under them. The force was nothing close to weak, but it lacked the rage the earlier quakes had. The earth seemed to be settling and for that he was thankful.

Tugging at the bars with bandaged hands, he found that they gave no lee way. He glanced up, finding the flames casting haunting expressions across this woman's face. She looked young, beaten and bowed. Her lip was swollen, and her cheek dark with a bruise.

Looking the woman in the face, Lu Ten took her hand into his. She was shaking. Pressing her fingers sharply, he pulled himself from her grip. She wrapped her fingers through his, embedding her nails into his washed out flesh.

"Please," she screamed at him, pleading for him not to leave. She kept one of his hands tightly in her own, her other resting on the bulge of her stomach. "Just keep trying. You cannot leave me. You cannot leave my son."

"I'm sorry," Lu Ten whispered, yanking his hand from her grip. She kept reaching out, fingers clawing into the air like she were gasping for life. Tears dripped down her face as she continued pleading to a man who could not save her – a man who didn't know if he could even save himself.

Eyes closed to shut out the screams and the pleading and the prayers of those few still in the cells, Lu Ten breathed in the flamed torch he still gripped tightly. It wasn't enough. He needed a greater fire.

Without looking at the woman, Lu Ten stumbled his way further down the hall. A few more cells stood empty on either side. Just as many still remained intact, those behind the bars pleading for saving.

A vile cough tore at Lu Ten's throat like a bat out of hell. He swallowed his pain.

The floor shook again but not with the violence it had prior. It knocked him to his knees, crashing against the bottom few stairs. He held the low burning torch, glancing up at what he prayed would be his salvation. Turning his head as far as his sore neck would allow, he glanced down the prison hall he had called home for far too many years.

Gasping through a tightness in his chest, Lu Ten turned his gaze back onto the stairs. The faint green light high around the curve of the stairs sent a sinister chill down his spine. Rising as best he could, he half walked, half crawled his way up those cold stone stairs towards that even colder light. Something unknown inside him begged to be free of that foreign light.

The flame he held fell silent to the world. Lu Ten lay half battered on the stairs, eyes cast upon the remaining embers. There was enough light below and above him that he could see both ends of the stairwell, but he needed more. He needed those embers to burn. He'd gone too long without the sun's comfort, Agni knew how long he'd survive without the flame he now looked to like a friend.

Resting his back against an upper stair, he wedged the torch between his knees and brought his bandaged hands together. The binding was dirt and blood stained as he started to rip them from their place. His fingers protested at the air that now touched them. They throbbed with each movement he forced them to make.

He wrapped the binding around the torch end, knotting it into place. His hands burned too much for him to try and produce a flame through them. Grinding his teeth together, he breathed in the remaining embers and spat a tight flame. The bindings burned low along the torch end, but it was enough.

Turning to continue his journey up the stairs, Lu Ten dropped again when he felt the stabbing sensation in his upper torso. His free hand bundled his tunic until he could see his shallow skin underneath. A dark red stain sat over his too white skin.

The curse slid from his throat as he surveyed the wound. A wide gash cut a red line across his pale flesh, and was painfully bleeding. It wasn't deep enough to be fatal, but enough to sting with every breath he took. Lowering his shirt, he drew his attention back onto the end of the stairwell. Gripping the torch tightly in his hand, the other pressed against the gash in hopes of slowing any further bleeding, he took the stairs quickly and carefully.

The stairway gave way into a voluminous chamber shadowed in haunting green light. The stones lining the lower floor and ceiling glistened with that green light. They shined into the darkness, casting their light around. Lu Ten had never seen gems do as such.

The chamber walls echoed with each breath he took. It was empty save for him and a dozen or so tables scroll covered tables that ran the length of the far wall and across the dark floor. The green glow seemed to bear down upon him. Its very presence was like a weight pressing against his shoulders and into his chest. In his hand, the torch flickered lowly. There were shouts a ways down the wall. Something about intruders, and slowing the flooding in the lower levels. He couldn't hear all the words being spoken.

After a moment, those words fell silent. Lu Ten was left standing in the glowing chamber, silence greeting him as the dust settled and the floor stopped shacking.

A scream of rage tore from his left. Lu Ten turned too quickly, his head throbbing from the movement. All decency and preservation screamed for him to flee the other way. To run and keep running until the sun touched his bruised and washed out skin. He had escaped his cell, escaped the Hell he had suffered under, and now he had the chance for freedom. Heading towards the sounds of commotion would not lead him to freedom.

Tightening his grip on the torch, he took a step towards the sound of the commotion. Only one step. Lu Ten stood there, debating as the sinister green light cast shadows over him. When all this was done, he would have to ask the spirits why they lead him in that direction. Why they couldn't have just let him walk out to freedom.

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-


	4. Missing Years And Stolen Breaths

A/N::: I am back. Had to pick up a few extra hours at work due to them being shorthanded and it really cut into my time to write. It's been a busy few weeks and this coming week is just as busy. I miss free time. Here is a long chapter though. Like a bit over 6,000 words.

-So genius me has left this thing in the doc manager for about three days now. Apparently I forgot to post it. Oops. Here I am though.

-oOo-

-oOo-

-oOo-

He came out on a small balcony of sorts. A man, he knew him to be Dai Li, but did not know his name, stood below. He held his hands behind his back, his shoulders straight. A thin braid ran the length of his back. From this distance, Lu Ten couldn't see his face, but he could almost sense the dangerous smirk. Something about the man was eerily familiar – like a face long etched in a nightmare.

A pair of young boys stood opposite the braided man. One was tall, a strange collection of clothes and armor dawning his body. Wild brown hair stuck up in all directions. He held a pair of crocked swords in his hands. The other boy, was a sight Lu Ten didn't quite understand. He stood shorter than the other. His bald head seemed to shine in the green tinted light. The markings of a people thought forgotten danced across his scalp. His orange robes were bright as the blue ink in his skin. He held a staff, pointing it towards the braided Dai Li agent. He was screaming at the man a conversation Lu Ten was too far away to hear.

Lu Ten leaned over the edge of the small balcony, trying to better hear the words being spoken. His eyes caught a platform just a few feet under him. The walls of the large circular room was riddled with protruding platforms that spiraled downwards. With the attention of the three directed away from him, Lu Ten clenched the ledge and threw his leg over. The bandages on his hands were pulled tight as he threw his other leg over as well. For a moment, Lu Ten teetered on the edge, judging the fall he was about to take.

"Spirits damn me," he muttered under his breath. Pushing off the balcony edge, Lu Ten buckled and braced for impact. He rolled when his feet struck, coming to a stop just at the edge of the platform. Rising to his knees, he pressed a hand to the wound on his torso. It was bleeding slowly, but not enough to worry him. The second platform was closer, and he took it with a mere leap. Dropping onto his stomach, he noticed the indents on the wall behind him. Earthbender tunnels, he thought slowly. It explained how the Dai Li moved through the stone headquarters so easily. It explained the maze of hallways.

He was close to the group now. Close enough to hear, but still far enough away that if he lay flat, they would not see him.

"All right Avatar," the braided man spoke harshly, "you've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance. If you want your bison back."

The tattooed boy flinched at those words. Rage crossed over his face as he leveled his staff at the man.

"You do have Appa." The boy spoke with a furious tone that seemed out of place in one so small. There was a rage, a bitterness that did not belong in one so young. "Tell me where he is,"

"Agree to exit the city now," the braided man replied, "and I'll wave all charges and allow you to leave with your lost pet."

"You're in no position to bargain." It was the boy with the bush of brown hair who spoke now. Now that he was closer, Lu Ten could better see the hocked swords. He had only seen a handful of swords made in such a manner. He had never been a fan of the design himself. It allowed for too showy of sword work.

"Am I not." The braided man kept his gaze locked on the youngest boy.

"You're definitely not," the voice of the young child answered.

"Jet," the eyes of the braided man roamed over to the eldest of the teens, "the earth king has invited you to Lake Lougi."

Lu Ten buried his head into the stone as a sharp pain raced through it. He lay there a moment, breathing through the sharpness in his temple. It stung like a wasp sting long thought healed. Many a time he had watched a Jo Dee go ridged and submissive under the threat of those words. Prisoners in long forgotten suffering had silenced their pleas at the sharp line. Lu Ten felt his body growing weak, his mind overcome with a thick fog as he stared helplessly at the situation below.

"I am honored to accept his invitation," the words were spoken with the haze of a dream. The blank slate that had become his face quickly morphed into ill-gotten rage. He turned his swords onto his comrade with an animated snarl.

"Jet, it me! It's me, Aang," the child, Aang he called himself spoke as he dodged the wild attacks, "you don't have to do this!"

The boy moved with the grace of the wind as sword met empty air. He stayed on the defense, clearly unwilling to hurt his uncontrollable friend. The boy with the bushy hair - Jet, a fitting name for one such as him - didn't slow at the pleading words. He swung again and again in messy arches that showed clear lack of proper training. Had Lu Ten not been fighting the pounding drums inside his skull, he might have taken better note in how the boy stood to improve.

The Dai Li agent smirked "I am afraid he has no choice."

"I'm your friend, Jet," Aang continued to plead around each new attack, "Look inside your heart! This isn't you!"

"Do your duty Jet," The braided man's voice held a certain edge to it that Lu Ten could place as irritation. The prince shifted his golden eyes, the only movement that his body seemed to allow him to do without throbbing to look at the earthbender twenty feet or so from him.

"You don't have to do this," Aang moved with the freeness of air as he evaded the wild attacks. "This isn't you! Remember who you are Jet! Remember me! Remember Katara, and Sokka! Smellerbee, LongShot, the Duke, Pipsqueak! Remember your family Jet! Smellerbee and Longshot need you! They're waiting on you to return."

The child's words echoed through Lu Ten's ears as well as Jet's without any reaction from either the intended or side party. Jet continued in his mindless assault. Lu Ten remained lying there on that platform.

"You have a family waiting for you back home! They need you! They look up to you!" The child continued in the futile attempts to reach his friend. "Remember them Jet! Remember what the Fire Nation did to you! Remember the Freedom Fighters! You have to return to them! They're waiting for you! You're a Freedom Fighter, Jet! Don't let him win!"

Lu Ten's head beat violently as a long forgotten voice echoed through it.

 _"You have to stay safe. You have to come home to us. I'll be waiting for you to return. I promise!"_

The voice, so full of childish wonder and innocence danced through his memory. Pleading golden eyes had looked at him with love and awe. He had ruffled his little cousin's hair, promising to return soon.

He never did. That boy kept waiting for a cousin he thought to be gone to the world. Clinching his fists tight, Ku Ten breathed through the pain. He rose to his feet slowly. He had kept his cousins waiting long enough. He had been away from his father for far too long. He was going to change that now.

Golden eyes locked on the braided man as the two young boys did the same. There was a moment, the trio below glaring daggers across the floor as a fourth party looked onwards. Lu Ten brushed back his long over grown bangs and breathed as the pain crawled into the back of his skull.

The boy, Jet moved quickest. He threw his sword at the Dai Li agent. The man merely side stepped the attack. From under his robes, appeared a sandal fit foot. His arms clenched at his side, body angled directly at the teen closest to him, he moved to strike.

A snarl at this lips, Lu Ten struck first. He crouched, steadying his feet before a burst of flames erupted from between his patched and parted lips. A breath of Fire cut across the room using the last bit of sunlight his body had stored. It wasn't a mighty blast, but it was enough to reach the Dai Li agent...

..and set his robes ablaze. Startled, the pillar of stone he had been intending to create, veered to the side. The teen boys were able to side step it and looked onto the scene with confusion and slight amusement. The youngest looked up to where Lu Ten stood. A look of gratitude was in his soft grey eyes.

The Dai Li agent snarled up at Lu Ten as he patted out the flames. He glared, before creating a column of stone which propelled him towards an upper platform.

"You foolish boys," he yelled from above them. "You all will pay for this! I will see to your demise!"

With that, the man leveled his glare onto Lu Ten. A quick move of his wrist and the prince found himself clocked neck deep in pinching stone. It grew tight, compressing against his chest. Lu Ten bit back a scream as stone itched across his beaten torso.

Aang, the tattooed child, was in front of him a moment later. He landed with a spiral of his staff. Wind danced around his feet as they touched stone. Had his breathing not become strained, Lu Ten might have wondered on the apparent airbending he had seen. The kid set his staff to the side, his arms out, palms facing Lu Ten. His pulled his hands across him as if he were ripping the stone open.

The stone crushing against him crumbled. Air filling his lungs, Lu Ten did not protest when the child slide himself under his arm to support him.

"Hi," the boy spoke. "I'm Aang."

"I'm pleased to make you acquaintance," Lu Ten breathed out.

"Hold on," was all the kid offered before his staff does into his hands. A whirl if winds surrounded them, before their feet left the ground. It was quite a distance from the base of the circular room and the ledge Lu Ten had been on. They floated through that distance as if wings were on their heels. Touching the ground, Lu Ten gapped at the young child.

"Long Feng is gone," Jet growled, looking at the abandoned column of stone.

"We won't find him in here." Aang spoke with frustration on his lips. "He knows the place better than we do. Our best bet is to get out of here while we still can."

A wall opened, allowing a group of children to enter into the room. From the way Aang and Jet looked pleased to see them, he figured they were allies if not friends. Suspicious gazes were sent his way by a deeply tanned teen in blue. A strange winged creature flew through the air, before landing briskly on Lu Ten's shoulder. It looked at him with wide brown eyes and chirped as if in welcome.

"What's going on Aang?" The blue eyed boy asked shifting his eyes onto Lu Ten. "Where's Long Feng? Who's this?"

"He got away," Jet shook his head before he glared untrusting at Lu Ten. "And I would like to know that myself. A fucking firebender in Ba Sing Se."

The blue clad teen drew back, arms flinging about until they landed in a combative stance. "A firebender? Aang, get away from him! He's one of them!"

"He saved us," Aang protested. He tightened his hold on Lu Ten's arm. "Long Feng attacked us. He took over Jets mind. This guy helped us. He set Long Feng's robes on fire. He… what's your name."

"Lu," he answered. Voicing the word caused a ripple of pain to run through his body. There was quite a bit of blood on his tattered tunic.

"Hold still," a blue clothed girl - who looked strikingly similar to the boy in the same colors - was beside him. Her hands were submerged in water gloves. Pulling his tunic from his chest, she ran the water over the wound. He wanted to protest this young girl touching him in such an unseen manner, but the complaint died on his lips when the pain fell away. The winged monkey on his shoulder dug his nails into Lu Ten's shirt as it leaned forward to get a better view of the soft glow the water gave off.

She took his hands next, eyes wide at the injuries. "I can't fix all of this here. He'll have to come back with us."

"Katara!" The blue eyed boy pushed himself between the girl and Lu Ten. "He's a firebender. Not a baby moose-lion cub. You can't just take him home with us!"

"He needs medical attention!" She screamed back. "We can't just leave him."

"Sure we can," Jet shrugged. "He must have done something bad. Why else would the Dai Li arrest him? He's probably a criminal. That's why he's in jail."

"The Dai Li arrested you too, Jet." The girl - boy(?) - who spoke pushed the swordsman back. She too was dressed in a mix of cloth and leather pieces. Her hair was a large collection of frizz and curls.

"Disturbing the peace," Jet shrugged. "A misunderstanding."

A mutt boy - the final member of the small party - merely rolled his eyes as if he expected no different.

"Unless we want to end up in jail cells, I suggest we make a run for it." The girl who spoke was the shortest amount them. Her ivory skin had a layer of dirt over it. Black hair was done in a large and messy bun. Sightless lake green eyes looked at no one in particular. Something about her ticked away at Lu Ten's mind. One didn't forget eyes such as hers.

The blue boy spoke, "Toph is right-"

"As I always am."

"-this whole place is about to come down, and we don't want to get caught in a fight down here."

"We still need to find Appa," Aang fists tightened as he shifted his eyes towards Lu Ten. "You wouldn't happen to know where a room large enough to hide a flying bison could be."

Lu Ten shook his head. "I don't really know this place. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Toph, we know Long Feng has Appa. Can you tell if he's down here?"

The blind girl nodded. Ramming her foot into the stone floor, Lu Ten felt the ground shake slightly. After a moment, the girl sighed. "He's not down here, Aang."

"You sure?"

"Be pretty hard to miss a ten ton flying monster when I know to look for him. Sorry."

The blue girl put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "We will find him. But right now we need to get out of here. It isn't safe and we need to get to the Earth Kung before Long Feng does. Who knows what lies he'll tell him. Can you walk?"

The question was directed towards Lu Ten. Straightening himself off the bald child, he nodded. "Whatever you did for that wound, thank you."

"Are we really taking him with us?" Protested Jet.

"We don't leave a man behind," Aang answered; bitterness licking at his voice.

"He's not a man," Jet argued. "He's a firebender!"

"A firebender who saved your life!" Aang growled back. The boy stepped closer to the teen; the difference in their height doing nothing to stop Aang's challenge. The monkey left Lu Ten's shoulder and perched himself with the boy. "We don't leave anyone behind."

And that was that. The declaration on the child's part was enough to silence any protest as they followed the blind girl through the twists and turns. Their path was mostly clear, any stray agent they came across was easily left groaning in a pile of ice or dirt.

Lu Ten admired the power these children possessed.

-oOo-

The sight of the sun's harsh glares was as much a gift to Lu Ten, as it was a torment. Its light seared into his paper like skin His golden eyes were unable to fully readjust to the light he had been deprived of for years, Exhaustion quickly set in as he was dragged in a run across the beach. He tried to keep up, but years spent in an enclosed cell made every step ache as his joints strained to stretch and bend. The children slowed just a little, but kept at that mad dash back towards the city.

The sand gave a violent shake around them as Dai Li agents dropped from seemingly out of nowhere. Stone walls erupted around them, blocking their escape. The man with the braid from earlier stood atop the wall immediately before them. He smirked down at them, with his hands clasped behind his back.

"This is the end, Avatar." The man growled, gaze at the tattooed boy.

Lu Ten stared at the child, disbelief in his gaze. There was no possibility that this kid… this child was…

The winged monkey gave a frustrated chirp before taking off into the air. Lu Ten half watched the creature flee into the distance towards the sun. There was a moment of silence between both parties as they watched the creature melt into the light.

A moment later, a bellowing growl filled the air. The black speck which had become the lemur came tumbling back towards them at a much faster speed, and a greater size. The black orb in the sky quickly morphed into a soft white creature, strips of brown running along its forehead. The beast gave another bellow before crashing its horned head straight through the stone wall before them. Its multiple legs kicked back to propel the beast further through the walls. The Dai Li agents, the braided man among them, tumbled to the ground as the stones crumbled.

"Go Appa!" The blue clad boy cheered. He threw his arms into the air, spinning his fists in support and excitement. The creature plowed through the remaining walls. Chunks of rock exploded around them. The girl with the murky green eyes thrust her first forward, the ground under them shifting to create a stone barrier between them and the raining stones. The group buckled together as stone collided with stone and Dai Li tumbled onto the ground. The area settling, their stone shelter shifted back into the Earth. The flying monster settled onto the ground.

"I should have taken care of you when I had the chance," Long Feng remarked. His gaze shifted onto the monster as he threw his foot forward, stone starting to ripple with his assault. The creature opened its mouth, lunging forward to snag the man's leg between his bulky teeth.

For a moment, Lu Ten wondered in the beast planned to eat the man. Long Feng tried to push himself

The beast smirked around his foot. With a determined flick of his head, the creature sent Long Feng skidding across the water like a discarded rock. He suffered several harsh lashes against the water before sinking below the surface. He resurfaced a moment later, a vicious glare across his eyes. The Dai Li agents scattered.

Lu Ten pressed a hand over his chest, breathing through a growing pain. The wound on his torso was no longer bleeding, but it still stung madly. His lungs were growing tight from all the running. His body wasn't used to all this physical strain. Pressing a bandaged hand over his face, he breathed through the tightness in his chest.

"Appa!" Aang cheered, throwing himself towards the creature. He buried his face into the brown fur arrow – a design both of them shared. "I missed you buddy."

"We need to go," the blue clad boy started pulling them towards the six legged monster.

"Let's go old man," Jet growled at Lu Ten before following the group. Lu Ten, and the small group of oddly armored teens stayed a short distance from the others and the oversized monster.

"Old?" Lu Ten cocked a brow. A soft chuckle escaped from his lips. "I haven't aged that much, child."

The girl – Lu Ten was positive she was female – leveled him with an unamused glare. "Only old people call others, child."

"Don't talk to him Smellerbee," Jet rounded on them. "He's one of them."

She leveled him with a glare. "You talk to him."

The conversation continued around him, but Lu Ten was doubled over by that point. He was breathing through the black spots that filled his vision. The sun was beating far too brightly against his straining eyes.

"You alright?" The girl, Smellerbee, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He's fine," Jet waved him off.

"I don't think so," Smellerbee shook Lu Ten slightly. The prince took a deep breath, trying to get air into his burning lungs. Without warning, he dropped to his knees. The black spots overpowered his vision. The throbbing in the back of his skull overtook him as his eyes closed.

A pair of hands went around his shoulders as he passed out.

-oOo-

"He's waking up," the light, young voice of a female was the first sound that graced his ears, as he woke.

"Good," a much stronger, yet similar voice as the female before, responded, "Because he owes us a couple of answers."

Lu Ten stirred, finding the throbbing in his head to be just a dull hum. Wherever he was laying it was soft and comfortable. He could feel the light of the sun on him. It was softer than earlier, but still had an unfamiliar burn. He breathed in the light, feeling it awakening the soul in his body. Opening his eyes, he tried to sit up on the overstuffed couch.

Comforting hands assisted him in sitting. Lu Ten looked into a pair of warm blue eyes. The girl behind them smiled. "How are you feeling? You've been out for a while."

"Took the world a little too fast," Lu Ten braced a smile. He glanced around the spacious living room, taking in all the greens and tans. It was a nice enough looking place. A little too mute in colors for his taste, but one could never be too picky. Especially when it wasn't his home.

"I did the best I could healing you," the waterbender spoke beside him. She made a motion towards the bandages that covered his torso. "You'll need to take it easy for a while, but I stopped most of the bleeding and bruises. I did the best I could with your hands at the moment. It'll take a bit more healing."

"Are we even sure helping this guy is really a smart idea?" It was in that moment that Lu Ten noticed the blue eyed male leaning along the wall.

"Why wouldn't it be?" The bald child responded. Lu Ten took a moment to remember the kid's name and the fact that he had been titled the Avatar. It was all too much for him to take in.

"He's a firebender," the Water Tribe boy threw his hands into the air. "Every time we run into a firebender, something always goes bad and someone gets burnt. Or something blows up. We just got the Earth King on our side, and Long Feng is behind bars. I don't want to ruin our good run with the Earth King before we even have a chance to plan out the invasion."

"Sokka's got a point," Jet grinned. "He's a firebender, and all of them are nothing but monsters. What do you want to do? Keep him as a pet?"

"He saved your life Jet." Aang leveled them was a frustrated glance.

"He's a firebender," Jet continued, earning a nod from Smellerbee and the mutt boy. "We helped him out of that lake because it was the right thing to help. I've repaid the debt I owed him for saving me. A life for a life. Now I owe him nothing, so there's no reason to keep him around. Plus, he's a firebender. How many times must I remind you of this?"

"What are you going to do Jet," he waterbender beside him glared at Jet, "attack an injured man, who saved your life. All because of something as petty as where he's from. I hate the Fire Nation, just as much as you do, but you are missing one crucial part in all this. The Di Lee had him captive as well."

"Because there is no war in Ba Sing Se!" Jet growled, his voice raised above all others. "Up until a few hours ago, there wasn't any war in Ba Sing Se. Or firebenders for that matter. But obviously, there was all a lie. He's a firebender! The Di Lee tried to cover it up. Just like they did with…"

"With what?" The waterbender asked, her hands placed on her hips, as if they had found themselves there time after time.

"It's fuzzy," Jet frowned, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Just an incident down in the Lower Ring," Smellerbee answered. "Which, considering everything we've learned, just backs up the fact that he wasn't a firebender. Otherwise, the Di Lee would have picked them up, just like this guy."

"What are you two talking up?" The waterbender asked.

"Nothing," Jet muttered.

"I think you are missing a very important fact," Aang said, "whoever he is, he's clearly not against us. Otherwise, he would have attacked us under that lake."

"Maybe he's just waiting for a good time to attack," Jet responded with a shrug.

Blind eyes were rolled. "Or maybe you could just ask him. He is awake and sitting here you know."

Various shades of eyes turned their attention onto the firebender. He sat there on the plush couch, looking over every face in that living room.

"I should thank you properly," Lu Ten said. He set his fist into his palm, doing the best he could to bow at them. His position on the couch and the tight bandages around his torso strained his movements some.

"For what," Jet frowned around the piece of wheat between his lips.

"For rescuing me," Lu Ten answered. "And for fixing me up. I'm in your debt."

"It wasn't a big deal," she shrugged. "Just glad to help."

"Oh no Katara," his eyes moved back to the Water Tribe teen, "he is in our debt."

"Lay off him, Sokka." Blind eyes rolled when she spoke.

"What," the teen, Sokka spoke. "Stop rolling your eyes at me."

Aang sighed running a hand down his face. "Can we get back on point?"

"Kid's right," Smellerbee said. She stepped around the others shoving her face into Lu Ten's. Pressing a thin finger into his neck the girl frowned at him. "What's your name, firebender?"

Lu Ten swallowed the gulp as this girl stared him in the eyes. She was probably head's shorter than he was, but the girl frightened him. "Lu. The name's Lu."

"Is he lying?" Aang turned to the girl behind him.

Blind eyes narrowed before she nodded. "He's good."

Those unseeing eyes continued to watch him with fascination. The girl was staring him down. It was making Lu Ten very uncomfortable – especially since those eyes seemed far too familiar for him to have forgotten.

"You look familiar." Lu Ten said, watching the way those eyes settled onto something. "I don't think I could forget eyes like that though."

She shrugged. "Maybe I just have one of those faces. It'll come to you. Name Toph by the way."

Lu Ten mulled over the face and name. There was something familiar there, but clearly it wasn't important enough for him to remember.

"We should probably make introductions," the waterbender beside him spoke.

"Are you sure that's a good idea Katara?" The boy similar in appearance to her pushed off the wall.

"You just told him her name," Toph grinned.

"You already know Toph. My name's Katara," the waterbender introduced the group around her, rambling off their names. Lu Ten followed her finger as she pointed out each of the group, every name and face finding a place in his mind, until she landed on the final child standing before him.

The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen. His eyes were youthful but his stance was strong and burdened. In a better lightening than when they has first meet, Lu Ten could better make out the striking blue arrow that ran along the boy's scalp. The ink paraded across his arms, the fine tips of the arrows ending just above the knuckles on both hands. The clothes he sported were vibrant yellow and orange.

"And this, is Aang."

Lu Ten continued to stare the child down in wonder. Aang fidgeted under the glance, his gaze shifting onto his feet.

"I've never seen tattoos such as those," Lu Ten spoke slowly. The air around him seemed to grow tight as the children shifted. "He called you the Avatar."

"What?" Sokka was between Aang and the Prince. He looked Lu Ten in the eye, leaning in closely. "Of course he's not the Avatar. You're crazy. Why would you even think that? Lack of sun while in jail must have messed with your mind."

The Water Tribe boy gave a yelp of surprise when a stone pillar shot from the side and knocked him onto his face. Toph was standing there, her arm outstretched and a frown on her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest, the stone pillar setting back into the floor. "Are you telling me Aang is not the Avatar? I put my life at risk supporting you Twinkletoes and it was a lie?"

"No," Sokka piercingly growled at the earthbender. He was on his feet in an instant, eyes narrowed at the girl. "I just didn't want a firebender to know who Aang is. I've learned from past experiences, that when the wrong people find out about Aang being the Mr. All Powerful Glow Master, we end up burnt!"

"Or we have to run for our lives," Katara shrugged. "Either way, whenever the Avatar card slips out, it's either a place to stay or fire balls for breakfast."

"And sometimes both," Sokka continued. "But whenever it leaks out about us being somewhere, there's always fireballs at the end of the day. And we haven't seen Prince Zuko in a while now. I would like to keep it that way."

"Prince Zuko?" Lu Ten's brow cocked at the mention of his cousin. "What do you mean Prince Zuko?"

"Ya know," Sokka waved a hand about, "angry jerk with a serious pyro problem. I'm going to stop talking about him though, because we keep it up and I'm pretty sure that's asking the universe to jinx our good run."

"I highly doubt he's in the city," Katara shrugged a single shoulder. "That would involve not setting something on fire."

"No more talking about him," Sokka lifted himself from the wall he had been leaning against. He turned a scrutinize eye onto Lu Ten. Once more, he leaned in towards the prince, sizing him up with a frown. "Now that you know who we are, and you know who Aang is, it's time for you to talk. Who are you? What where you doing under Lake Lougi? What did the Di Lee want from you? How were you even in Ba Sing Se to begin with?"

"I've got a question for you," Lu Ten narrowed his eyes to Sokka. "What year is it?"

Katara frowned at the simple question. "Early spring of 100 AG. Year of the Monkey."

Lu Ten frowned. 100 AG. Five years. He'd gone into those cells five, nearly six years ago. 100 AG? It seemed far too real to really be true. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get home. He'd left his father, his family and he had to get back to them. He had to let them know that he was alive.

Smellerbee leaned over the back of the couch, watching him carefully. "How long were you under there?"

"Far too long."

"Why where you under that lake?" Sokka took back control over the questions.

"Don't know," Lu Ten lied, irritation on his words. He was counting all the summer's he had missed in his head. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. "Postcard said it was a lovely place."

Toph chuckled. She dropped onto the couch, throwing her feet over his legs. Katara protested about this action, accusing her of causing injuries that she would have to heal. She dug her toe into Lu Ten's leg – it was the first moment that he realized that the girl was barefoot.

"You expect us to believe that?" Jet growled. He yanked the piece of wheat from his lips and pointed the end towards the ceiling as he ranted. "He's a firebender! The Di Lee had a reason for taking him! He was probably up to something. Something evil. How do we know this isn't some evil plan? He could be planning some evil Fire Nation plan."

"Or he's innocent," Aang spoke. The kid seemed to be the voice of reason in the group – a voice that also seemed too often be ignored. "What's the chance that the Di Lee did arrest him, simply because he was a firebender? If they were trying to keep peace and cover up the war, keeping a firebender away from everyone would be a good start."

The sarcastic grin started to spread over Jet's lips. He was silenced by a knock on the door. All eyes focused on the steady sound coming from the opposite room. Sokka stood, before walking to the front door. He glanced back, giving and receiving a nod from Toph before he slide out the door. Those in the living room sat silent, listening to the sounds of a conversation coming from outside.

A few moments later, Sokka entered back into the house. He shut the door behind him, eyes on the scroll he held.

"What is it Sokka?" Aang asked.

"A request from the Earth King," he responded handing the document over. "It says they found some stuff while going through Long Feng's office that they want us to see."

"What happened to Long Feng?" Lu Ten inquired. Last thing he remembered was the man skidding across the water.

"He's long gone," Sokka answered with a humorless tone. "It says he wants the four of us there immediately. Whatever they found, it can't be good."

"Smellerbee," Katara rolled the scroll closed, "can I trust you guys to watch over him while we're gone. It shouldn't be long."

"I had plans," Jet pouted. He shoved the piece of grass back into place as he leaned against the wall.

"Like what Jet," Smellerbee frowned at him.

The boy only shrugged in response. "Revenge."

"We'll gladly watch him for you," Smellerbee replied, glaring deeper into Jet.

"Behave," Sokka pointed his finger threaten towards Lu Ten. "If you cause any trouble, I will hurt you."

"Relax Sokka," Toph's voice was tart as she spoke. She patted Lu Ten's leg before sliding off the couch. Stretching, she scratched some dirt out of her ear. "Lu will be the perfect little firebender. Behave Lu."

"Sure," Lu Ten replied. He continued sitting on the couch, watching as the group gathered up their things. Aang was the first one out the door. Katara checked over his bandages one last time, directed him towards a pair of clothes and went outside to calm the rushing Avatar.

Sokka stood beside Lu Ten, frowning heavily. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Don't leave this house. We're giving you a chance because you helped us out. But don't push it."

"Have fun," Smellerbee spoke as she shut the door behind Sokka and Toph. There was a moment of pause where she sighed heavily against the heavy wooden door Turning she frowned at the three boys in the room – Lu Ten had forgotten about the mutt boy who had been standing behind him.

Rolling her eyes, she stared at them. "Why do I always end up having to babysit?"

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-  
 **And we are getting somewhere. I need to make a clone of myself to live life for me while I write. Updating this got pushed back first for work, than for my security license classes, and I am finishing this up before I head to a work event. Maybe next week I can actually use my days off to do something I wish to do. Adulting is no fun.**


	5. Easy Breathing

**CHAPTER 5  
_OOOOOO_**

 **I reached a bit of a snag with this section of the story. This was the part in my first attempt that I disliked the most, and it took a bit more reworking than originally planned. I have written this section over and over and over again trying to get it right. No matter how I worked it, the dialogue just didn't seem to fit with the way I needed it to. And I couldn't get it to work the way I wanted it to.**

 **It didn't help that I decided to change a few key plot points from the first time so it took a great deal of reworking and the pieces of text I already had got a bit jumbled. And the more frustrated I got, the more I leaned towards procrastinating. I have cleaned the house twice, bathed a guinea pig, offered to take a coworkers shift and binged two seasons of a show in order to put space between me and this frustration.**

 **But now that things are back in place it should be much easier to get these chapter written – if work will allow. From here on, updates should come about every three weeks. Two weeks if I find the moments to work.**

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Lu Ten stopped to look at himself in the long mirror adjacent the bathroom door. He pushed his bangs back so that he could get a better look at himself. His hair was wild and uncut, hanging just past the edge of his shoulders. It was limp, tangled in some spots, and lacked the luster that had sent girl's falling to their knees in his youth. His face was marred with thin white lines. A scar cut through his brow, leaving a jagged red slice from just above his brow ridge and curving down under his jaw line. A second deep scar cut under his other eyes and cut along the bridge of his nose. He frowned as he ran a finger over one of his split nostrils. He hadn't noticed before how strange he looked with that chunk of his nose missing.

The clothes he had changed into were a foreign green against his pale skin. The tunic was a mooted brown, the collar stuck up under the larger moss green sleeveless tunic which hung just past his hip, and sat loose around the thick belt. His feet hit nicely in the clean pair of boots. The fabric of his pants were smooth. His hands were covered in fresh white bindings. He looked less like a prince of the Fire Nation and more like a man about to find a fight.

On the nightstand was a thin black ribbon. Sighing, he snatched it and dug his fingers through his hair. Collecting the massive amount of curling black locks, he tied it back into a mess of a bun. It was a simple Earth kingdom style that he had adapted a long time ago. A high Phoenix took too much work to craft his hair into and out raised too much attention from the locals. So messy bun it was.

It hadn't taken long after that before he tumbled onto the soft silk bedsheet to rest his eyes. He knew he had slept only recently, but his body didn't seem to remember. His eyelids felt like stone against his eyes. The soft silk was now foreign against his skin. The pillow, he realized, was pig-chicken feathers. It smelled vaguely of herbs and some kind of citrus fruit. Orange's maybe? It had been so long since he'd smelled them, but they remind him of home. Remind him of tropical breezes and fruit trees and warm spices.

It was a heavenly feeling laying in such a soft bed. Oh how he had missed such a comfortable place to sleep. There hadn't been many firm mattresses back when he had been serving in the Fire Nation army, and the Dai Li had been less than willing to offer anything to give their prisoners a good night's rest. The raised futon he slept on now was a treasure compared to the easy travel cots of the army and the water soaked blankets of prison.

He closed his eyes, soaking in the sweet smell of the blanket and the silence of the house. All but three of the children he had found himself aligned with had run off on the call of the Earth King, leaving him practically unguarded. The group that remained had questioned him nearly mercilessly before resigning themselves that he wasn't going to up and set flames to the house. They seemed content to allow him to rest; all aside from the Jet boy who continued to watch him from the corner of his eye with distain and distrust. Lu Ten let that go. He had enough to deal with aside from the, likely justifiable, anger of a young teenage boy.

Rolling so that he could gaze out an open window, Lu Ten figured now would be his moment to run. He was unguarded, unshackled, unwatched. He could run if he really wanted.

But where to? He had no clue how to get to the Fire Nation. No clue if his father was even still there all these years later; he would be getting up there in years by now. They had mentioned Zuko earlier in passing. From the way they had spoken, it seemed that they were familiar with him; although it didn't seem like a friendly sort of relation.

Lu Ten's eyes grew heavy. The pull of sleep was stronger than he could fight. It felt so good to lay there and just breathe in the fresh air. Resting his eyes for a moment, he figured it couldn't hurt.

When he woke, it was to a finger pressed against his face. He groaned, swatting it aside. Cracking his eyes open, he glared at the soft pale skin and black hair of a young girl. "Go away Azula."

The finger pulled back. "Not her. I'm much cuter."

Lu Ten's eyes flew open at the voice. He sat up, staring in concern at the short girl watching over him. A chirp of indigence hit the air. Lu ten blinked down at the large grey eyes of the monkey. The little lemur, Momo they had said his name was, remained lying on his back for a moment before scrambling and taking to their air. It flew out the open door without looking back at him.

"Azula," Toph tested the name on her lips. "I met her. She's crazy. Shots people full of lightening. She's Zuko's brother right? Never got the chance to meet him."

Lu Ten watched those unseeing grey eyes, looking for any idea of what was going through her mind.

"I'm not going to tell." Toph shrugged her shoulder. "It's not my place. I figure you'll tell them when you're ready."

Lu Ten narrowed his eyes, searching for something. "What do you know?"

Toph shrugged again, a grin on her lips. She climbed onto the bed, laying back with her arms supporting behind her head. "More than you might think. You feel the same as you did that day."

"That day?" Lu Ten looked down at the girl, mesmerized by those grey eyes, searching for some clue as to what she meant. Those eyes continued to stare at the ceiling, taking in nothing but everything all the same.

"I feel the vibrations in the earth," Toph said. She rolled onto her side, watching him. "People give off these kind of waves. I can feel them through my earthbending. It makes it pretty easy to read people."

"And what do you read from me?"

"You're a pretty decent guy. You saved my life you know. I don't know if you remember. I remember you though."

Lu Ten watched those eyes as they blinked several times. The girl looked so young, she couldn't be any more than twelve. There was a hardness around her eyes which was much older than any child should display. It was the dark lines of soldiers coming back from their first duty on the front.

"I was still pretty little," Toph started again. "I was still learning to see. My dad took me along with him on this business meeting. It was one of the few times they let me out of the house. Wanted to show me off to his friend for a future match. His poor, blind six year old daughter in need of a good home and a good husband. We were traveling between the towns when we got stopped. Rough Rhinos. Pretty nasty bunch. They started making demands from my dad and the other guys with him. They wanted money for safe travel. When they couldn't pay, the Rhinos turned their attention onto me."

A shutter ran through Toph's small body. She didn't need to continue for Lu Ten to understand. It wasn't the first time a story had come up regarding the Rhinos and their tactics. He'd been following after them that day, trying to get to the bottom of a local town, and all those who had resided in it, burnt to the ground. He'd found them, bothering a traveling convey, a small blind girl in the center of it.

"The world's a small place it seems," Lu Ten chuckled. "How did you recognize me? It's been years."

"Everyone has a certain feel to them," answered Toph. "I would never forget you. You were one of the first people that I really got a feel for. One of the first people that I got to really see."

"Well I'm honored."

Toph sat up, punching him in the arm in the process. "Whatever. Enough of the sappy talk. It's like talking to Katara. Everyone got back about an hour ago. Jet filled us in on what you told them. We got plans to make, figured you'd want to be there."

"Ya."

Toph hopped off the bed. She stretched, yawning in the process. "Let's go old man."

Lu Ten stood, his knees popped at the motion, and the pain lasted for a little more than a second. Rotating his neck to release the pressure, he nodded at the girl. She was shorter than him. Much shorter. The top of her head was just above his navel. She was far to tiny to be involved in a thing such as war. The way she stood however, was comparable with the stance of men who had long known war.

Toph was already the door. She motioned for him to follow. Lu Ten was several steps behind her.

The group of children were loud as they gathered about the kitchen and dining area. Sokka was sitting on the counter, tossing snacks into his mouth from a large bowl. Katara was beside him, sneaking a handful. At the table, were Jet and the young girl and boy who seemed to be attached to him. The Avatar was perched in one of the chairs, a ball of air bouncing between his hands. The winged creature sat on his lap, every once in a while reaching out to swat at the propped herself against the near wall.

"Morning," Katara calls to him. She pulled herself off the counter, frowning as her brother smiled through a mouthful of snacks. Grabbing a bowl of fruit she pushed it towards the open chair and motioned for him to sit. "You sleep well?"

"I did," Lu Ten responded, taking the offered seat. Jet narrowed his eyes. The younger boy shifted the piece of wheat between his teeth before rolling his eyes away. Lu Ten took a piece of fruit and balanced it I his hands. "How long exactly have I been out for?"

"You missed breakfast," Sokka spoke as he continued to shove the food into his mouth. From this distance, Lu Ten couldn't tell what it was, but it must have been good with the way the boy was shoving mouthfuls away.

"About a day," Aang said. He was still creating small balls of air to tease the little lemur with. "We were kind of worried you were going keep sleeping."

"You needed the rest," spoke Katara. "It's been a busy last couple of days. For all of us."

"A couple of days?" Lu Ten tried to count all the hours he had slept since his release. Once again in the free world, and it seemed all he could do was find a soft spot to lay his head.

"It's been about two days since we got you out of Lake Lougai. You've been asleep for most of it," said Sokka.

Two day, Lu Ten thought. It seemed like so long ago that he had been in those cells, listening to the pleas of those around him. "The others the Dai Li were holding prisoner, are they free?"

Jet slouched forward, the piece of wheat in his mouth hanging limply. "You don't get to ask questions."

"Quiet, Jet. You're still on thin ice." Katara reached forward, pushing the boy back into his chair. She turned back to Lu Ten. "The Council went it after Long Feng was arrested. They cleared the place out. The Jo Dee's are being worked with to figure out who they are, and everyone else in holding down there have either been sent home or moved to a proper prison. There's still going through the records."

"They haven't found anything on you yet," Sokka added, casting him with a suspicious look. "There's a lot to go through. But we don't know anything about you. We were hoping you could change that. Answer some questions."

"Alright," Lu Ten answered with a nod.

"How long have they been holding you for?"

Lu Ten responded with, "a number of years."

"What were you doing in Ba Sing Se?" Jet asked.

Lu Ten paused before answering, considering his options. "A fresh start."

"How did you get caught by the Dai Li?"

"Got in a fight in the lower ring." It seemed a logical explanation. "Some drunk guy screaming about something. He earth bended at me. I reacted on instincts. Firebenders don't last long in this city."

"Where's your family?" Aang asked him. A gaze of sympathy was alive in his dull grey eyes.

Lu Ten shrugged as casually as he could. He couldn't keep the hint of bitterness from his voice as he contemplated where exactly his family was. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen them in years."

Katara stood, a sigh on her lips. "Alright. I think that is enough questions for now."

Jet stood as well, his hands pressed firmly against the table. Anger danced its way through his gaze. "So you're all cool with this? He's a firebender in Ba Sing Se and that's all the questions you're going to ask!"

"He is not a threat Jet," Katara yelled in response.

Throwing his hands into the air, Jet whirled onto Lu Ten. "He is a firebender! We can't just keep him like a pet. We can't let him go off into the world. You should have handed him over to the council we you had the chance."

"We are not going to go over this again." Katara pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm the frustration she felt dealing with this man. "He helped us, the least we can do is help him."

Sokka sat the bowl aside, leaving the other boy with a frown. "Your gonna have to learn to get along with him while we're gone"

"Gone?" Lu Ten asked.

A look was shared between the children before Sokka nodded and spoke again. "Somethings have come up and we - Aang, me – we'll be leaving the city for a bit. Katara and the others will still be here. They can help you find your family or we can drop you off and we leave the city."

"I would like to keep you just a little longer," Katara said to him. "Your hands are healing, but there's still a lot of scar tissue and I think with some work I can help heal your hands back correctly. The bones healed wrong, and I'm sure they're causing you pain. And I think I might be able to get you a little bit more movements if I keep working on them."

Lu Ten contemplated this. His fingers twitched almost as if excited at the prospect of being once more functional. It would be nice to have his range of motion back. Not to mention the rest of his body still ached and hurt when he moved too abruptly.

There was no reason for him to rush from the city. If his father was home, it would mean quite the long journey. Access to the Fire Nation would take more than a ferry ride. He had no money, no idea even how to get back to Capital City. Travel home might as well be a suicide mission while he was in this state.

Nodding, Lu Ten pressed a hand over the other. "There's nothing for me outside the city right now."

Jet muttered under his breathe, "There's nothing for you in the city", which earned him a sharp slap to the shoulder by Smellerbee.

"All good then?" Sokka clapped his hands together and jumped off the counter. "As much as I hate to dine and dash, we have a bison to catch and a schedule to keep. We got to go."

Katara smirked. "You and your schedule."

Sokka narrowed his eyes at the. "We told the Earth King we would be back in three hours. We have fifteen minutes. If we want to hit all our stops we gotta go now."

"Alright, alright." Katara held her hands up. She crossed the kitchen, grabbing a bag which she threw over her shoulder. "Everything else is on Appa?"

"Appa?" Lu Ten muttered, looking for clarification. At the word, the little lemur creature drew its arms back, and flew around the table. It snuggled under Lu Ten's arm, making itself comfortable on his lap. Large grey eyes looked up, staring at Lu Ten as if thanking him for his warmth, and challenging him to make him move.

It was Smellerbee who answered. "The giant bison thing. Horns. Lots of legs. Flies about."

"The thing that attacked the Dai Li?"

"That's the one." Sokka grabbed a handful of apples and stored them away in the bag Katara held. She narrowed her eyes at him, shifting the bag to balance the weight. "Now we got to get going. Walk us out, friends!"

Sokka grabbed another piece of fruit, biting into it as he pushed his way out a back door. There was silence, before the teen popped his head back through the door. "Let's go. One does not keep the Earth King waiting."

"I'm going to be glad for some peace and quiet," Katara muttered. The others got up, slowly shambling out the door. Lu Ten stood, taking Katara's hand when she offered it. He smiled, hiding the grimace as his knees popped. He was too young for his joints to be giving him this much stress. He followed the group out, listening to their chatter.

When he stepped out the door, he stared in wonder at the beast in the garden. The thing was magnificent. White and brown fur donned his body. Large horns stretched from atop its massive skull. His eyes were closed as him and the young airbender hugging him seemed to breathe into one another. It had flattened a set of hedges, but didn't seem to mind as his tail tapped against the remains of a small tree, now left as nothing more than a pile of branches and leaves. Its large body took up quite a bit of space.

"That's Appa," Smellerbee said from the left of him. She looked onto the group with a fondness, but her, Jet and Longshot stayed back as the others crowded around the beast and placed their hands into his fur. There was a sense of family among the group across the yard, and it seemed Lu Ten wasn't the only one who had been feeling as if he had been intruding.

"You guys will be fine without us?" Sokka called out to them.

"We'll be fine," Jet answered. "We'll keep the firebender out of trouble."

Katara was the first to move towards them. She threw her arms around Smellerbee, hugging the shorter girl close to her. "Toph and I will be back in a few hours."

They drew apart before the Water Tribe girl turned to the other two boys. Her hug with Longshot was quick and a little stiff, but the boy returned it after a visible moment of hesitation. When she turned to Jet, Lu Ten could see the tension. Jet was the one to raise his arms first, but after a moment put them down. Katara reached her hand out, placing it on his lower arm. A thought past over her blue eyes before she buried herself into his chest. Jet wrapped his arms around her tightly, his shoulders slacking as they embraced.

Lu Ten hadn't realized the others were exchanging hugs until a head ran roughly into his torso. He glanced down, grinning as he wrapped his arms around the little Earthbender. They pulled back a moment later. After rocking on her heel, Toph jammed her fist into his arm. Groaning through the sting, Lu Ten asked why she had done that.

"It's how I show affection," she answered quickly.

A hand was placed on his shoulder, drawing Lu Ten's attention. He locked eyes with the boy, who despite his young age was nearly as tall as Lu Ten was. He looked at him with unsure blue eyes, but a spark of what must have been trust flashed through them because he nodded at something, and patted Lu Ten's shoulder. "While you're here, keep an eye on Katara for me."

Lu Ten nodded. "It's the least I can do, after all you've done for me."

A smirk crossed Sokka's lips. He placed his hands onto Toph's shoulders, steering her around and towards the bison – her grumbling a clear indication that she didn't mind his playing. He looked over his shoulder at Lu Ten, looking him up and down before saying something. "You know, for a firebender, you're not too bad."

"See you around!" Aang was on him in a second. The young Avatar had practically leapt onto his shoulders and was looking at him over his shoulder. For a moment, that carefree expression and the weight of aa young boy on his back reminded him so much of Zuko. A pang of melancholy passed through him as he thought of all the years he had missed. Zuko would be far too old, far too big to climb onto his shoulders as he used to. Aang didn't seem to notice the thoughts going through Lu Ten's mind as he hugged him, wished him luck and skidded off towards the bison.

Katara remained and she stood in front of him tittering at the group. "He's always excited around new people. When I get back, we'll have another look at your hand."

"Thank you," Lu Ten inclined his head to her.

"There's no need to keep thanking us," she spoke with a smile. "Helping people is just what we do."

She hugged him quickly – it seemed hugging was a common thing among this group – before informing him to take it easy for the next few hours and following after the group. They climbed aboard; Aang at the head, while the other's clung to the beast's back.

"Smellerbee!" Sokka called out. He readjusted Toph who was leaning up against him, her distaste for traveling in this manner clear on her features. "You're in charge while we're gone. Don't let them burn the house down."

"Got it captain," she called back. Beside her, Jet was picking his jaw up and muttering under his breath about something. "Now leave."

They gave one last wave before the creature took to the air with a flick of its massive tail and a low bellow. Lu Ten watched in amazement at the monster was air board. Its tail slapped the air before shooting through the air with a grace that should not have come with its cumbersome size.

With the group gone, a sense of almost normalcy touched the air. Lu Ten dug his hands deep into his pockets, listening to the bickering between Smellerbee and Jet over who was really in charge of the small group. He watched them, smiling sadly as he thought on two of children with a talent for bickering.

The sun was falling from its peak it the sky. He breathed it in, feeling the rays coursing through his body. Spirits, how he had missed the touch of the sun against his skin. The three keeping him company retreated into the home, but not without a warning look at Lu Ten. He stayed out there, simply breathing in the air he had been denied for so long. Taking a seat on a stone bench, he looked out across the yard. Outside of the space which had been beaten down by the bison, the yard was quite beautiful. Small trees rose among the beds of flowers. A small pond was trickling water somewhere down the stepping stone path.

Outside the large back wall which was covered in reaching vines, he could hear the little sounds the streets gave off. There wasn't much noise aside from the boisterous group in the house. A stillness was in the air. Lu Ten didn't like that. He had never been a fan of the quiet.

The Dai Li prison had been a constant noise. It was never good noise, but it had been something.

The palace had thrived on noise. His father's laughter bounced off every wall it touch and his mother's voice when she sang would travel through the air for miles. Quiet was never something that stayed when Zuko and Azula were around him. The countless council members, and servants had always left noise in their wake as they went about their jobs. The palace had been a place of life.

This stiff, shoulder back air of Ba Sing Se was something he didn't like. Glancing at the back wall, he flecked his fingers and thought about how easy it would be to jump it and jump every wall after that until he returned home.

Groaning as his fingers began to throb, Lu Ten brought the appendage to his chest and sighed. Easy wasn't the word for it. Giving one last look at the evening sun, Lu Ten stood. He watched a single cloud pass in from of the sun, before he went into the house.

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 **Again, I apologize profusely for the delay in getting this taken care of and posted. Next chapter should be up hopefully sometimes soon. I've got a chunk of the next chapter written, but I'm working a long weekend so I am not sure when I will have the next free moment. Beyoncé is coming to the convention center, and I'm working security for the concert. Pretty cool, but that means I'm lined up to work a triple. Twenty seven hours. As of posting this I am running short on time.**

 **So, again, I apologize for the delay and here's hoping that something like that does not occur again.**


	6. Healing and Truths

I miss being able to write freely and productively. I hate falling behind but I swear sometimes it feels like I'm working within deadlines that I never will meet and relying on free time that I am borrowing. Honesty, people who can be productive scare me. Like how do you manage your time? I've taken to brushing my teeth in the shower to cut back on time and y'all out here writing 10,000 word masterpieces in bed.

Do let me know what you guys are thinking. I really appreciate every one of you who is reading, and all of you guys who are leaving reviews. And thank you to everyone who has recently added this to their follows and/or favorites. The support means a lot.

Now, I have chapter six done and ready – just a few days later than intended.

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Katara and Toph moved through the streets of upper Ba Sing Se, stopping at a small little store to purchase a bag of fruit and some rice for dinner that night - she was feeding more mouths than she had shopped for at the beginning of the week - before continuing their walk home. There was a silence between them that wasn't uncommon for the pair. Neither realized just how much of their noise was created by Aang and Sokka.

The boys had only left a few hours ago and already Katara was missing them. It was to be expected. She had never been apart from her brother for more than a few hours at a time, and since the moment Aang had wiggled out of the ice he had been joined at the hip with them. She had taken it upon herself to take care of and protect her brother and the boy who might as well be her brother, and she had become invested into that role. Katara almost didn't know what to do with herself without the two of them to worry over.

Tossing a glance at Toph she remembered she had more than enough to deal with here. She had the council meeting with the Earth Kingdom generals. She had letters to send and people to get in contact with. She had Toph to worry about, and the girl's meeting with her parents. She had to keep Jet and his crew from causing trouble in the Upper Ring - the short excursion the day before had proved that the treehouse community stuck out worse than she did in this section of the city.

And then there was Lu. Katara still wasn't sure what to make of the man. He seemed trustworthy. And he wasn't much older then them and he hadn't given them any reason not to trust him. But he was still Fire Nation and placing her trust in anyone from that section of the world seemed to be just a little more then she thought she could offer. Sokka had almost stayed because of that mistrust. It has taken all the reassurance that her and Toph could handle themselves, and that people would be with them and reminding him how much they might need this guru for Aang, and how desperately they needed to Southern Fleet in preparation for the invasion, to get him to leave. He had done it begrudgingly and already Katara wished - as selfish as she knew it was - that they had stayed.

Toph let out a groan under her breath as she shifted the rice she carried onto her shoulder. She reached up, shoving her bangs off her face and scratched her nose. The younger girl kept walking, seemingly unaware of the thoughts running through Katara's mind. Her dull grey eyes were locked forward, a heavy knot written in her brow as if she were deep in thought as well.

There was this feeling Katara got when she knew someone was keeping a secret from her. She thought it was a gift. Sokka thought it was an annoyance. Either way, it was often spot on. And she getting that feeling from Toph; had been since the girl had gone to talk to Lu earlier in the day. She didn't like it. She wasn't a fan of secrets. Especially ones that pertained to their safety.

Pressing closer to her, Katara wrapped her hands tighter around the handles of her basket, and glanced around at the others of the street. They were given a few quick glances from well-dressed people, but no one came near enough to engage in conversation. A group of girls snickered behind their golden fans, and scurried along past them. Narrowing her gaze, Katara put them out of her mind before turning back to her friend.

"Okay, spill," Katara hissed under her breath. "What do you know about Lu?"

"What?" Toph narrowed her eyes into the distance.

"Lu." Katara repeated. "What do you know of him? You've been acting weird around him. And you guys have been strangely chummy."

"Am I not allowed to make friends?"

"I'm just curious is all. I mean, we left the guy at the house we're staying in. If there's some big secret that could put us in danger-"

"I just meet him before," Toph cut her off.

"How?"

"Look, you don't have to worry about him. He isn't gonna turn on us." Sensing Katara's body still retaining a sharp frustration, Toph sighed and decided to play along with the interrogation. "Fine. If it's that big of a deal. It was years ago. I was still pretty little. My dad was dragging me along to meet this business friend of his. He had a son a few years older than me and I'm sure he was hoping to snag a marriage contract. But we were traveling back and got caught by the Rhinos."

"The Rough Rhinos?" There was a hitch in Katara's voice. The group of merciless men terrified her, and she was not going to deny that. They only come across them a handful of times, but each time had ended with hasty retreats and burned clothing. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to come across them at only five, blind and defenseless.

"Ya. They made us get out of the carriages and were going through our stuff and were bothering my dad, going on and on about the dangers of traveling these roads and about thieves and what not. They wanted money for safe travel. I remember one of the guys trying to brush them off and saying we'd be fine on our own. But the Rhino's didn't like that. They threatened my dad. Threatened me. Said the road wasn't safe for a blind girl and that if my dad and they didn't want to pay the traveler's fee they would just take me instead."

Katara's spine went ridged as the implication of that threat passed through her mind. "It must have been terrifying."

For a moment, Toph looked as if she was going to shrug and play the memory off. The corners of her eyes grew tight, and her shoulder's shook once before nodding. "I was just starting to learn how to see. It was all still a bit blurry but they weren't. I could feel everything about them. I hadn't ever felt anyone like that before. They were hard. Cold. But then these guys showed up and started going after the Rhinos."

"That was Lu? He just showed up out of nowhere"

Toph nodded. Her voice turned sharp. "If I tell you something, you have to keep it between us. I mean it Katara."

"I promise."

"He was part of the Fire Nation army. He had been tracking down the Rhinos to give them some kind of warning or summons or whatever. They seemed to like to harass people and they'd been called out on it. He came over to me. I had this stupid doll with me, my mother gave it to me and made me take it on the trip, and one of the Rhino's had taken it. He gave it back. He felt really nice. Warm. He felt a lot nicer than the Rhinos did."

Toph stopped talking. Katara realized quickly that was all she was getting of the story. She had a feeling there was something more to it. She was lucky Toph had opened up this much and she knew better than to press. Lips in a firm line, Katara tried to set the story in her mind. "So, let me get this straight. He was part of the Fire Nation army and neither he nor you felt that was good information to share?"

A chuckle touched Toph's lips. "Pretty much. It didn't seem important."

"We left a Fire Nation soldier in our house?" Katara pressed her lips together, glancing nervously around at the occupants of the Upper Ring. No one payed them any mind but the she knew better than to let her guard down. The city seemed safe enough but she wasn't about to bet their freedom and lives on it.

Toph shrugged, her gaze staring seemingly off into an empty market street. "It's not like he's still reporting back to the army."

"At some point he was. A Fire Nation soldier. In our house. Is that why he was in the Earth Kingdom? What was he doing near Ba Sing Se? Did he desert?"

Toph shoved her bangs from off her face, her nose scrunched. "I don't know. I didn't keep up with letter over the years. I recognized him when we found him. I don't forget people. Not the way they feel at least. But I don't know what he's been doing since then."

"Clearly something to get him in trouble." Katara ran a hand over her face. She had been so trusting, allowing this man sanctuary within their temporary home. And now look what came of it. They hadn't known anything about him and they had just opened their doors to him.

He was a Fire Nation soldier. She wouldn't be surprised if the house was under siege when they returned to it. Sokka had told her time and time again she was too trusting. She had kept brushing him off, calling him unsupportive and paranoid but now she was thinking he had a point. These things seemed to come back and bite them.

"We couldn't have just left him down there. He needed our help," Toph spoke sharply. She wrapped her arm tighter around the bag of rice and speed up her steps.

Katara sighed, brushing the loose strand of hair from off her face. Toph had a point - as brisk and defensive she was about that point. He had needed them and turning her back on people was just not in her nature. But former Fire Nation soldiers was getting to the edge of Katara's willingness. She didn't trust them. Didn't trust anyone from the Fire Nation. She had to recant that stance just a bit when the group of deserters run by Jeong Jeong flashed through her mind. They were firebenders, decent Fire Nation folk, which Katara had trusted not to light them in flames. Not often had they found people from the land of eternal combustion that they trusted in such a way, but there were a few of them. She just wasn't so sure now if the man left back at their house was one of them. A lone firebender, lost and seeking sanctuary, was one thing. A trained – and Spirits forbid loyal – Fire Nation soldier was another thing.

Shifting the basket of fruit she was carrying, Katara decided that she would deal with this when they had the moment to. She didn't need this stress right now and if Lu hadn't burned the house down by now than there was no reason to instantly jump to accusing him. He had Toph's support after all, and despite their differences, Katara trusted the other girl's instincts – her sanity and morals, not so much, but definitely her instincts.

The remainder of their walk back to the house was done with silence between them. Toph trudged forward, grumbling lowly under her breath about fancy people and a need for a fight. Katara chuckled, and kept walking, watching the way the girl narrowed her unseeing eyes at lavishly dressed men and women.

When they returned to the house, Katara was indeed relieved to know that her trust in having the house still standing wasn't proven wrong. They entered into the home, and was mildly surprised to see Longshot and Lu engaging in a heated game of Pai Sho. The two sat in absolute silence, eyes trained on the board as Smellerbee and Jet crowded around and threw out support and ideas. Judging from the way the players were frowning, it was clear the advice wasn't very helpful.

"Alright guys," Katara called, setting the basket of fruit onto the living room table. Toph dropped the bag of rice heavily onto the floor and threw herself onto the couch. "Take a break from the game. I need someone to wash the fruit and rice for dinner. Lu, I wanna have a look at your hand before dinner."

"You claim defeat?" Lu Ten cocked an eyebrow at the silence boy across from him. In the last couple of hours he seemed to have worked out a tolerance between him and this motley crew here. Longshot looked down at the board with a heavy frown before nodding and rising. He didn't say a word, which didn't surprise anyone, as he grabbed the bag of rice and headed to the kitchen. Smellerbee followed behind, carrying the basket. After a moment, and a quick glance between them, Jet shrugged and trailed after.

"Kitchen might be the best place for this," Katara prompted. She waited as Lu Ten stood, taking note of the way his knee wobbled before he managed to stand upright. His steps still had a slight limp to it and he held his bandaged hands to one another. Her previous apprehension concerning any betrayal from him disappeared when she remembered just how injured he was. Even if he wanted to fight them, she doubted he had the strength to do so.

He was a few steps before her, when he began to slow. She watched the bend of his knees, noting the stiffness in them. He could move well enough, and judging of the way he had kept up with them under that lake, the damage wasn't too severe. She would just need to work some water over them. Untie whatever knots had formed through the afternoon.

Smellerbee had already washed the fruit and tossed it into a bowl on the table when they arrived into the spacious room. She was busy helping Longshot clear off handfuls of rice while Jet dug around in the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Katara called to him.

Jet continued searching, reaching into the back of a high shelf. "Where do you keep the spark rocks? Making a pot of tea."

"Don't bother with it." Lu Ten extended his hands, thankful for the lack of coverings near the ends of his fingers. Dragging his thumb down his finger, he ignited a small flame which he quickly set into the burner. It flared, burning a deep glow of red. Lu Ten watched it, mesmerized by the flames he had been so long deprived of.

It took him a moment to recognize the stares upon him. Everyone stopped moving, their eyes treatment traveling between the flame and the firebender who had passed it there.

"How about you just don't do that?" Jet spoke, his voice with a sharp edge and a more subtle shake to it. "Alright?"

Smellerbee and Longshot had frozen close to one another. There was a spark of distrust that was directed towards the flame. Katara stood there, knowing that there was no cause for worry, but becoming nervous all the same.

"You making tea or not?" Toph's voice broke them out of their trances. She leaned against the table, a piece of fruit between her teeth. The juice dripped down her chin when she took a large bite, which she didn't bother whipping off.

Katara shook her head, going back to filling a bowl with water and grabbing the medical kit off of the counter. She sat them on the table, motioning for Lu Ten to take a seat. He did. Holding out her hand, Katara waited for Lu Ten to place his there. She was careful as she reminded the wrappings. His knuckles weren't nearly as bruised as they had been when she'd first seen them, which was good, but the bones in his palm were still a ways off from being completely mended. She cursed the shock bastard that ever came up with this method. She might not be the first person to jump to a firebenders defense, but this was just cruel. It was barbaric and inhumane.

"I'd like to check on these at least once a day from here on." She worked carefully, rotating his hands to look them over better. They weren't as distorted as they had been when he had been drug up from the Dai Li prison, but there was still clear and worrisome damage. They were making progress though.

Pulling a stream of water from the bucket, she trailed her eyes over the damaged skin. She had seen a few of the other prisoners from Lake Lougai after seeing Aang and Sokka off. She had briefly considered handing Lu Ten of to them but had squashed that idea when she saw how out of that depths the council was with trying to piece together all lives the Dai Li had disrupted. Many has been young women in-between their Jo Dee training. A few had been guys from the Lower Ring who had talked to loudly about the war. A handful of politicians and noisy professors had been found there. Eight firebenders. Eight people; four men, two women and two children had been found in addition to Lu Ten, each with their hands smashed and pleading for the sun. It made Katara sick thinking of their faces, so broken and pale like a flower deprived of light. Eight people who had come to the city for safety and had been taken from the streets.

Who knew how many others had perished at the Dai Li's hands in the name of order.

Moving the water across his hand, and tried to shut their faces out but she couldn't. Katara doubted she would ever be able to get the dull brown eyes of those broken people from her mind. Turning her gaze into Lu Ten, she marveled at the spark of determination behind his soft hazel eyes.

No. Not hazel. Golden. Gold with a hard edge off something she felt she understood. She had seen eyes like that before. They had stared her down at the rivers edge, holding her so she couldn't run. They had glared back over a warm oasis and challenged her in a snow tipped battle ground. They had been pleading, demeaning and broken as they were cast into the unmoving form of his Uncle. They had been full of fire when he had stepped into her home.

Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of any thoughts on the Fire Nation prince. It would do her no good to think of him right now, not when she had a patient to tend to.

Those eyes though. They made her wonder how common such a shade was in the Fire Nation.

"How bad does it hurt? On a scale of one to ten?" Katara moved the water about, kneading it into his muscles and watching for any sign of discomfort.

"Maybe a four," offered Lu Ten.

"And what was it this morning?"

"About the same."

"Compared to a few days ago?"

"Much better actually."

Katara nodded at that, working the thread of water along his hand. It glowed slightly and unnaturally. To her, this healing had become common place. To him, it seemed a wonder. He had never seen healing done in this manner. Rumors and stories of the skilled healers of the Water Tribes were heard worldwide. Lu Ten had never had the honor of seeing such power before. Now he had. A gift given to a waterbender by the Spirits, and it was being used to treat an old injury of a Fire Nation prince. Not that she knew who he was, Lu Ten reminded himself. He briefly wondered if she would offer her talents if she knew.

A sharp pain coursed through his fingers as the water sunk into his skin. It burned slightly, the muscles straining to repair years of forgotten damage. Katara paused, looking up at him. "I'm sorry. I'm doing my best not to hurt you, but there might be some discomfort."

"I'm alright," Lu Ten uttered, relaxing as the cold water brought a warmth to his skin. It draped along his hand like waves across the course sands of a beach.

Katara looked him over before going back to work. She worked quietly, muttering to herself at every few moments. Jet placed a cup of tea before her and after a moments hesitation placed one near Lu Ten's free hand. He turned back to the kettle. Neither he, known his companions had said anything above a whisper to themselves. Smellerbee stepped out first, Longshot following as well. Jet narrowed his eyes at the pair before climbing to sit on the counter, his cup of tea on hand.

"Wanna bite?" Toph held the half eaten mango towards Lu Ten. It dripped juice all down her arm and onto the table.

"No thank you," chuckled Lu Ten.

"Suit yourself." Toph sucked off the juice running down her arm before shoving the fruit back between her teeth.

Katara tossed her a swift glare before returning back to healing him. "You would think she picked up table manners somewhere along the line."

Toph leaned back in the chair, her feet propped on top the table. "I have manners, Sweetness. I just choose to forget them."

Running the water over his hand and working to fix both the bones and his chi flow, Katara let out a looking sigh. She wondered if the her of last year would believe that in such a short amount of time and would be camped out in the very heart of the Earth Kingdom, trying to healing a war related injury on a firebender. It was almost as unbelievable as imagining herself breaking the Avatar out of ice. Yet here she was. She doubted the little girl in the South Pole, trying desperately to teach herself would believe she would ever get to this point.

-oOo-

-oOo-

-oOo-

Kind of a short chapter, especially after all the wait. But I felt this was a good place to break. I'm about to get to the conclusion of the season two arch and wanted to have a calm middle ground episode to transition with. We should be leaving Ba Sing Se in only a few more chapters. From there I get free reign to do as I please, where I please.

So this was kind of a Katara centric chapter. While this piece is building off of Lu Ten and the part he will play, I'll warn you that both Katara and Zuko will have their fair share of chapters. Partly because I love them and enjoy writing for them. Mostly it's because when I built this plot it relies heavily on these three characters and I want to use all three of them as best as I can.

Next chapter will be relatively calm as well and should hopefully be here soon. In the midst of Halloween right now and I have a week and a half to make a Jasmine and a witches costume plus a very booked next couple of weekends so it'll be about a week or so before I can even start with the next chapter. But expect it hopefully around the beginning of November. Once the holidays are over I should have more time to work.

Let me know your guy's thoughts. I love the reviews I am getting and am always happy to know your guy's opinions.


	7. Conversation at Sunrise

-oOo-

A shuddered moan escaped Lu Ten's lips as he awoke. He rose to his elbows, eyes searching through the darkness. He could feel the mattress underneath him. It was warm, heavy, and like a miracle, was not stained with the scent of mold. A cat-owl howled somewhere outside the window, snapping Lu Ten out of his moment of panic. His breathing leveled out as his mind came to terms with his surroundings.

Knowing that sleep was not going to greet him if he laid back down, Lu Ten rose fully and threw his legs off the bed. Rubbing the tightness from his eyes, he grabbed a discarded tunic and slipped it over his body. It was a little tight, but considering he was using bowered clothes, he wasn't about to complain.

Leaving the spare room he'd been using to sleep in the last few days, Lu Ten made his way towards the living room. He listened to the sounds of the house for any indication that someone else was awake. The collection of snores that rang from within the halls was a clear sign that everyone else was asleep during these late hours. The living room was occupied by Jet, who was half sleeping on the couch, the other half draped across the floor. The boy was passed out, blissfully in a state of slumber. Lu Ten chuckled at the sight, continuing on his trek to the kitchen. Pushing the door open, he paused at the young girl who was seated at the table.

Katara looked up from the bowl of water she was bending out of. A smile crossed her lips. "Hello, Lu. Couldn't sleep?"

"I could not," he answered, stepping into the space. He noted the empty cup resting in front of her. Setting himself in front of the stove, he tested the half-filled tea pot before putting it on the burner. He bent the tips of his fingers, cringing at the stiffness. Pushing the bandages down from the end of his fingers, he produced a small flame and sent it into the burner. Turning, he watched the light of apprehension touch Katara's gaze. The water she had been moving now rested in the bowl.

Rubbing his hands together, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"It's not you," Katara waved him off with a tight smile. "It just caught me off guard."

Lu Ten was silent as he motioned towards the chair opposite her. Given permission to join her, he pulled up the chair and sat. A soft groan danced from his knees as pressure was relived off them. He ran a thumb over the fabric of his pants, suppressing a wince at the moment of pain.

"Do you want me to look at that?" Katara asked, her eyes trained on his knee as if she could see the flickers of tension the muscles gave off.

"It's alright," Lu Ten waved her off. "Just the pains of an old man."

"You're far from old."

"That may be, but I sadly am growing far from young as well."

She chuckled at that, her eyes roaming back onto the bowl of water. "If it starts to hurt, let me know."

"I will do so, thank you."

There was silence between them. It wasn't unwelcomed, but it wasn't greeted fondly either. They sat there, feeling the late night minutes pass by. It had to be getting close to sunrise, as Lu Ten could feel the touch of the sun on a distant land. It wasn't close enough to begin warming him, but after so long without the touch of the sun, he would cherish even the most distant of light.

"Can I ask you something?" Blue eyes locked onto pools of ember as the silence was broken. When he nodded, Katara took a deep breath, turning her gaze searching through his. "Were you ever going to tell us about you being a soldier? Toph told me. She filled me in on how she knew you, why she vouched for you. But I was wondering. Were you ever going to tell us?"

Lu Ten didn't have an answer to that, at least not one he assumed she would have liked. As her eyes bore into him, searching for something he doubted he had in himself, Lu Ten let a tired sigh escape his lips. "Does it change the way you think about me? Does it make you hate me?"

Her shoulders stiffed, confronted with a question she hadn't been sure she could honestly answer. "I don't know. You haven't given us a reason not to trust you, and I trust Toph's instincts when it comes to people. But… I still have to wonder, you know. It's not like I have a good history with Fire Nation soldiers."

"Do you mind me asking about that? It's just, you're awfully young and awfully far from home. One has to wonder how you ended up in the company you have."

Katara's shoulder's softened ever so slightly. She ran her finger over the edge of the bowl, eyes shifting with the flow of the water inside. "It's kind of a long story."

"How about this, you tell me how you ended up here and I'll do the same."

The kettle began to whistle; a shrill call far too loud for this early into the morning. Katara rose, using a towel to remove the hot kettle before Lu Ten had managed to make a move to stand. He cursed his slower reaction time, chalking it up more towards her youth than to his injury. A flick of his wrist, and the flame on the burner smoldered. Katara stared at the quieted flame for a moment, before turning and setting the kettle onto the counter.

"It was an accident we found Aang," Katara said, her back towards him as she began to sift the tea. She spoke slowly. "Sokka and I, we were out fishing. We got caught in a current and our canoe ended getting destroyed. We were stuck in the middle of the ocean and had no idea where we were and no idea how to get home so, naturally, Sokka and I got into an argument about it. He made me so mad I ended up waterbending without knowing – I was still learning how to control it. Long story short, I accidently broke a glacier that Aang had been frozen in."

"Accidently?" Lu Ten's brow rose. There was a sweetness to her face, and a grace to her movements as she finish brewing the tea. She was young and still retained much of that childish appearance. At a glance, she looked nothing like the hardened and powerful warrior she claimed to be. If it wasn't for the sharpness that resided in the corner of her eyes, Lu Ten easily would have made the mistake of passing her off as just some child; a mistake he was sure many had made before learning otherwise. "You accidently broke a glacier."

Katara nodded. She set the now empty kettle back onto the stove, taking the set of cups in her hands. Setting one in front of Lu Ten, and nodding at his thanks, he retook her chair and settled back. Hands wrapped tightly around the delicate little cup, she breathed in the sweet smelling tea. "Yes. Now, you tell me something. Why did you join the Fire Nation army?"

Taking up his own cup, Lu Ten thought on that question. It was one he had questioned many times over many years now. "My family has been a part of the war since its conception. It was expected that I join like my father. And I was never given any reason to consider otherwise. Did you consider staying home?"

"I did not. When we meet Aang, we didn't really know what all it would lead to. We didn't know he was the Avatar, he was just… some kid. But he offered me a chance to leave. He needed to go home, and I saw it as my chance to leave the South Pole. To learn from a real bender. We didn't have any other waterbenders in the tribe to teach me, so I jumped on the chance to learn. Of course when Zuko showed up and took Aang, staying home was really out of the question. It became less about me finding a teacher, and more of making sure Aang stayed safe."

There was a moment where Katara's lip tightened, but it eased as quickly as it happened. "You said the other day that the war left a bad taste in your mouth. Was that before or after the Dai Li arrested you."

Shifting the tea in his cup, Lu Ten stole a glance out the window. The sky was still dark, but the subtlest edge of orange could be seen past the outer wall of the city. "Before. Growing up, kids in the Fire Nation are taught about the war a bit differently than the rest of the world is."

"I can imagine so."

Lu Ten allowed himself a small chuckle at that. "We're taught that the war is one of greatness. It's a war of prosperity and sharing our wealth. Growing up, that's what I was taught, that the war was indeed our way of sharing our greatness. Bringing culture to the dirt encrusted Earth Kingdom and the savages of the Water Tribes."

At the dark look in Katara's eyes, Lu Ten held up a bandaged hand. "I'm not saying that to be mean, and I have not bought into that propaganda for years, but it was what I was taught as a child. And growing up, in a pretty military focused household, I didn't have any reason not to believe it."

"What happened to change your mind?" Katara asked.

Lu Ten smirked at her. "I believe it's an answer for an answer. Do you regret leaving your home?"

"I do not," Katara answered without hesitation. " Now, seriously. Answer my question."

"I saw the war for what it was," Lu Ten spoke softly, finishing off the last bit of his tea. "It wasn't the great adventure my father always talked about. It was messy. Bloody. I watched people die. Men, women, children. Strangers and friends. I figured that much destruction and that much death, couldn't be worth whatever we were fighting for."

Lu Ten drummed his fingers around the rim of his tea cup, wondering how to best phrase his next question. It was information he needed to get, but he understood the risk. He wouldn't be able to back pedal if she took it the wrong way.

"You mentioned the name Zuko a moment ago, and you've mentioned him before," Lu Ten spoke slowly. "Can I ask how you've meet him."

Katara's face was crossed with an array of emotions from worry to confusion and a brief hit of anxiety. She looked down into her cup, eyes flowing over the liquid. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I'm just trying to get a read on this new world. His name came up when you and your friends had been in discussion. Last time I knew, the young prince was just a child. I'm trying to figure out what brings a child into war. Especially a war so far from home."

"I don't really know a lot about him." Katara spoke lightly. She was willing to answer his question, but wasn't sure what exactly she could offer. "What I do know is that he's made his mission to caught Aang. He just showed up like the day we found Aang and drove his boat through our wall and took Aang with him. He followed us all the way to the North Pole. I think we've only seen him once since then."

A look if regret overtook Katara's features. Her eyes turned downcast, locking on the liquid in her cup. "It didn't go so well. The older guy who's with him, he got hurt. Got hurt pretty bad."

A knot began to from in Lu Ten's throat. "Older guy?"

"Ya. I think he's his Uncle or something. Oh, what is his name…"

"Iroh?"

"That's it."

"And he got hurt?"

"Ya." Katara's eyes finally rose, landing on Lu Ten's face. She searched for something, but he turned his eyes out the window before she found it. "Azula, she's Zuko sister, she hit him with some lightning. I tried to heal him, but Zuko chased us off. We haven't seen them since. It's been a couple months now."

The call of a cat-owl sounded from outside the window as dawn began to move quicker into the sky. The air grew colder as a breeze ran through the open window; what remained of the tea in their cups chilled under its touch. The pair allowed the silence to join them at the table. Katara was thankfully too lost in the memory to see just how strongly Lu Ten's hand's quaked. He was sure if it wasn't for the bandages that he sported, he would have shook his bones apart. A shudder coursed through his body, one that caused his fingers to spread and the cup to fall.

A breaking of glass rang around them. It took Lu Ten an extra second or two before he realized that the sound was his fault.

"Spirits damn me," Lu Ten muttered, leaning over to grab the chipped shards. He couldn't manage to control his hands, and slipped his finger crossed a rather sharp section of glass. A bead of blood began to form.

"Let me see that." Katara held out her hand, looking at his own.

Lu Ten pressed the bleeding finger against his shirt, shaking his head. His other hand was gathering up the shattered pieces. "It's just a small cut. It'll heal on its own."

The spilled tea began to rise from the ground. Lu Ten watched the liquid wrap itself around Katara's fingers before she flung it into the sink. The mess cleaned up, and disposed of in the trash, Lu Ten wiped his hands off along his pants.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Katara watched him, worried that his injuries might be acting up.

Lu Ten nodded. "I am. Just a bit tired and sore. These old bones are still getting used to so much movement."

"Alright," Katara said, not fully believing his words. Glancing behind her into the window, she frowned at the rising sun. "I should probably try to get a bit more sleep in. Toph heads out to her parents in the morning, and I've got a meeting with the Earth King so it's going to be a busy day."

Rising from her chair, and setting her cup in the sink, Katara ran her eyes over his face. She noticed the edge to his eyes, but wasn't sure what to make of it. After exchanging wishes of a good morning, Lu Ten allowed himself to leave the kitchen. Katara stood there an extra few seconds, replying the conversation in her mind. He had reacted so intensely when she had told him about Iroh being hurt. He had gone almost into shock.

A cat-owl began to whine in the distance, the sound echoing as the city's creatures began to wake and call to the rising sun. Sighing, Katara rubbed her eyes. She really hated dawn, the touch of the morning sun always making her feel a bit groggy.

She wondered out of the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the house. Toph's loud snores came from down the hall. She could make out Jet mumbling in his sleep on the couch; she would have kicked them out if it weren't for the difficulty of getting ahold of them again down in the Lower Ring. The door closes to her, the one Lu Ten was using while Sokka was gone, was closed. She listened, hearing nothing on the other side.

Stretching her arms into the air, she fought the yawn overtaking her lips as she wandered towards her bedroom for a few hours of sleep before she had to deal with the Earth King and his council.

-oOo-

Lu Ten ended up lying in the bed while the sun continued to rise. His mind was traveling far too quickly for him to manage to separate all of this thoughts. They became a nonsense jumble, each tearing into him and causing the apprehension that resided in his chest to blossom and burn. His father's face played through his mind, the man's kind smile burning itself into the back of his eyes. The image was blurry, unclear and Lu Ten dreaded to admit that he had not retained a clear image of his father's face. He wished for nothing more, than to go back and spend a moment memorizing every crinkle of his father's smile.

With the horror of his father's possible death hanging over his head, Lu Ten found himself even more eager to leave Earth Kingdom soil and find his family. The time for waiting was over now. He couldn't stay hidden behind these walls when he knew his father was out there somewhere, hurt... or worse.

None of the news he had been given made sense. With the years he had been gone, he figured his father would have taken the throne by now. He knew his grandfather had been getting up in age, and it would have made sense that if he hadn't already passed, he would have handed over the throne due to inability to continue rule. General Iroh should have been ruling the Fire Nation, not here in the Earth Kingdom. It brought up other questions that Lu Ten was desperate to have answered, largely those centered on Zuko and Azula. Them being so far from home made even less sense than his father still being out here. They were children. Children who apparently had become invested in bringing the young Avatar home.

His eyes casting out the window, the sun now overtaking the sky and sunrise well on its way to finishing, Lu Ten came to terms with the fact that he needed to leave. Those still using the house would be clearing out today, and with the right amount of Spirit determined luck, he could be at the Outer Wall by afternoon. From there, well from there Lu Ten wasn't sure how it would go.

-oOo-  
-oOo-  
-oOo-

A/N: Holy fuck. I'm finally back. Ended up taking a bit more of hiatus than I wanted to. Been swarmed with work and running amok trying to get things done, and my computer decided to protest and whip this file save and I lost half of this chapter (Twice. That was a two time process. I need a new computer). I think this single chapter has been rewritten so many times it's a wonder I even managed to get it finished.

This is by far, not my favorite chapter but if I kept fiddling with it, I'd never get it posted. I don't know what it is, but it just refuses to get to the level I wanted it at. I will be coming back to this chapter some times in the future to edit it, but for now I need to just press forward. I've wasted far too much time as it is. Next chapter is mostly written, and the next five or so are already scripted, so updates should not be this far apart again.

I want to thank all of you who have recently added this to your favorites and/or your follows. And thank you everyone who has reviews and who is still reading. Your support is my motivation to keep writing.

Going to remind you guys that I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or anything associated with it.


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